Kidnapping
by ChibiNinja45
Summary: CLICK FOR FULL SUMMARY! When Naruto's childhood friend, Natarii, has a mysterious encounter with the Akatsuki, she finds out she's their next target! After nearly meeting her death, Natarii seeks out training in Konoha in the case Naruto can't save her again. Epic battles and mysteries unfold! Rated T for violence, mild language, and humor (NarutoxOC) R&R! ***NEW COVER ART!***
1. Chapter 1: The Incident

_I do not own Naruto, nor will I ever. I only own my OC's and story lines. All other credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto and Shonen Jump. _

_Thanks for reading!_

_Summary: _

_Naruto's childhood friend, Natarii, is a normal high school student with a normal high school life. That all changes when she has a mysterious encounter with the Akatsuki. Through this horrific experience, Natarii discovers she's their next target because of some mysterious, unknown power she never knew about. After nearly meeting her death, Natarii finds herself mentally scarred and confused. She seeks out training in Konoha in the situation that Naruto isn't able to save her again. When Naruto and Rock Lee are assigned to help her with her training, Natarii discovers she can't use ninjutsu! But why? Her chakra networks are perfectly stable. There are many mysteries that have yet to be unraveled, and many surprises that have yet to come. _

_Rated T for epic violence, humor, and maybe mild language. (Naruto x OC) Please R&R!  
_

* * *

Chapter 1: The Incident

Natarii stared desperately into Naruto's deep, ocean blue eyes, clutching his black jacket sleeve tightly as he was about to leave the room. Her glance screamed the words, "Don't leave me," yet she said nothing. Fear burned within the depths of her gaze. "The Incident" had only happened a couple days ago, leaving Natarii with quite the scar.

It began at the end of the previous week. Natarii said her thanks and goodbyes to the student council president and vice president. The two of them had been working so hard pulling the school's cultural festival together. It was Natarii's job to provide the necessary supplies for each class for their chosen event.

She bowed, large, somewhat overflowing box in hand, and slid the door shut with the tip of her foot. The hallways were empty, which Natarii found to be quite frightening when the hallways are typically crowded and full with mayhem. The brightness of the sunset shone strongly through the large windows. She entered her designated room, Room 1-A, the room where she had participated in class the past year.

It looked exactly the same as it had. The desks were in rows, a square with five desks in each row, with a chair pushed in neatly behind it. The chalkboard was freshly cleaned, but still had noticeable patches of dust on it from the day's use. She saw the second seat from the front in the column closest to the window. That was her window seat. And it didn't change after she moved to class 2-A.

Going back to her duties, Natarii entered the room and placed the box on the front podium Ignoring the fact that the chalkboard was freshly cleaned, Natarii picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a message in the board, describing what the materials were for. Everyone would know what to do with the boxes once they came back from the weekend.

Satisfied, Natarii triumphantly turned around, but was suddenly startled by two mysterious figures in black coats with red clouds on them. One was grotesque, looking like an enormous Venus Fly Trap. Half of its human like body was black, and the other white. The other was human, more or less, and he wore an orange mask with a swirl design on it. The only hole was one for his right eye. The rest of his appearance was a mystery.

"Are you Suroon Natarii?" The words crept out of the masked one's hiding mouth. His voice itself didn't sound all that terrifying. Maybe they weren't so bad, despite their appearances.

Natarii knew to keep calm in a situation like this. She couldn't give away any valuable information. She settled on a sarcastic reply. "Well at least someone knows the name I prefer." She placed her hands on her hips. "Whaddya want? If someone sees you they're gonna call the cops because of your suspicious appearance. To be honest, I'm not that far away from calling them myself."

The masked one turned his head to the mutated one. "White Zetsu," he began, "grab her."

Natarii didn't even have a second. At the end of the mysterious being's words, she had a pair of disgusting, slimy, freakishly pale arms wrapped tightly around her. She struggled somewhat violently to escape from the white, naked body of the strange, foul creature. All attempts failed. Natarii glanced upward to get a closer look at this so-called "White Zetsu." His thin, yellow eyes stared straight at her. He had short, stiff looking green hair and a freakish smile that crept from halfway across his wrinkled right half. Natarii felt as if she was going to throw up, due to the grossness of Zetsu.

"What do you-" Natarii was cut off by the appearance of a mysterious force that came from the eye of the masked one. It seemed to be a vortex of some kind, something Natarii always thought was truly impossible.

Before she knew it, Natarii was was surrounded by a completely different landscape.

It all happened within the blink of an eye. Natarii looked around cautiously, trying not to act too surprised. She was strapped tightly to what reminded her of a dentist's chair, but it wasn't quite the same thing. She could barely move a muscle. Behind her was a ridiculously deep and wide pool of water, and the cavern walls trapped a sense of coolness in the air.

Somehow managing to keep her cool, Natarii finished her question. "What do you want with me?" She asked firmly, but also with a sense of calmness.

"I will be the one asking questions," The masked one said. "If you chose to refuse an answer, you can say goodbye to your little happy world."

Natarii gulped nervously. This wasn't good, although that was obvious from the start. She had a hunch on what that pool of water was used for, and she didn't think it was for swimming. Plus, who knew what else this guy had in store.

The masked being inched slowly toward Natarii. "Have you ever heard of the Tailed Beasts?" He asked Natarii as if he were a detective interrogating a criminal.

"Can't say I have," Natarii answered, feeling uncomfortable with such a dangerous "thing" so close to her.

The guy with the mask backed away. "The Tailed Beasts are creatures with formidable powers. By far, they are the most advanced beings known to mankind." It appeared the masked creature was at least somewhat human. As he continued, Natarii noticed that Zetsu had disappeared.

"There are nine Tailed Beasts: The One Tailed Raccoon, the Two Tailed Cat, the Three Tailed Turtle, the Four Tailed Ape, the Five Tailed Dolphin, the Six Tailed Slug, the Seven Tailed Armored Beetle, the Eight Tailed Octopus, and the Nine Tailed Fox." He paused for a brief moment. "It surprises me. You say you've never heard of these beasts, yet you know of the Nine Tails' Jinchuuriki himself."

"Jinchuu...riki?" Natarii was even more confused. Who was this mysterious man who continuously talked about impossible fantasies? Or did they all just seem impossible?

"The host of a Tailed Beast," the masked man said. "Now, tell me everything you know about him."

"Even if I knew who you were talking about, I would never sell out a friend." Natarii shot at him.

The masked man threw a piece of information at Natarii she never expected. "I'm talking about Uzumaki Naruto."

Natarii's eyes widened with surprise. Naruto was the host of a vicious nine tailed fox demon? "There's no way," Natarii breathed out quietly. "Scientifically, and realistically, that's impossible."

"Just answer my question. If you don't, you will experience the consequences."

Stress and anxiety quickly built itself up within Natarii's mind. This was too much to comprehend at one time. "How am I supposed to answer your question if I didn't even know about this Tailed Beast thing in the first place?" She asked.

"Itachi," the masked man called. In response, another figure emerged from the shadows. He had long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and he wore the same coat as the masked man. "You know what to do," the masked man finished.

Itachi nodded slightly and looked directly into Natarii's eyes. Within a second, Natarii found herself in yet another atmosphere. However, this one seemed to be the least bit realistic. She was floating in mid-air, surrounded by a large mass of black birds that fluttered violently around. It was like utter chaos. It was genjutsu.

Within another second, she was back in the caverns, strapped to the same chair. Itachi's genjutsu, the most elite genjutsu, had failed to work on Natarii.

The masked man was the first to notice, but made no comment. He asked his question once again, but Natarii still refused to answer. Thus, leading the masked man to more drastic measures. He flipped a small switch that was attached to the wall.

Natarii felt an enormous surge of electricity go in an out of her body. It was painful, the most painful thing she had ever felt - like a thousand freshly sharpened needles were plunging deep into her body at once. She screamed loudly at the top of her lungs, hoping the pain would be gone within the next second. But it wasn't. The pain didn't disappear at all, and she was continuously shocked for the next couple minutes, which felt like a couple hours.

Natarii's breathing grew heavy. Between her large, gaping breaths, she managed to say, "Just...what is...it...you're try...ing to...accomplish?"

The masked man began pacing back and forth as he spoke. "You're in my way. As long as you're alive, I can't touch the Nine Tails. That's why after I get the information I want, I'm going to end your life right here."

Natarii couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was every word this guy was saying true? Was this going to be the end of her life? Natarii was terrified, but her outward appearance didn't show it.

"I'll ask again. What do you know about Uzumaki Naruto?" The masked man had his finger on the electrifying switch.

Natarii clenched her fists tightly and gulped. She had to mentally prepare herself for another dose of electrocution. What was there to even say? Either way, Natarii knew this guy was bad news and that she shouldn't say anything even if it did mean death.

After seconds of silence, the electrocution began once again, leaving Natarii in even more pain, screaming and wailing in agony.

The masked man shut off the electricity, leaving Natarii gasping for air, for she was in so much pain breathing seemed nearly impossible. "You have no use to me." The large straps that were holding Natarii down were split in half, and for a split moment she thought she was free. But she was soon levitating, which she assumed was caused by the masked man. She did nothing. She didn't make a sound. Her heart was pumping so fast, too fast for her to even think. There was movement. She was moving. With a quick glance, Natarii noticed she was above the massive pool of water. Instantly, she knew what was coming. She was to be dropped into the pool of water with her wrists and ankles bound with chains, and possibly her mouth gagged. She was destined to drown.

"GET. YOUR. HANDS. OFF HER!" A loud, easily recognizable voice boomed through the area. Natarii knew the voice anywhere. She glanced down toward the shadows on the ground and saw Naruto charging toward the masked man. But he looked different. Instead of those calm, happy, blue eyes, they were full of rage and hate, coated in red.

Natarii called out his name, but it was as of he didn't even hear her. He was inches away from the masked man, but before he could lay a finger on him, the vortex like force came out of nowhere and he disappeared, leaving Natarii falling, plummeting head-first toward the water.

The water stung like tiny needles, and Natarii's numb body was too limp to propel her upward. She was on a one-way trip to the bottom. She had to come up with a plan, but every time she tried to think, she could only think of the pain from the electricity.

Her vision was growing dark. The one thing Natarii didn't have was lung endurance. She could never hold her breath for a long time, and as she continued sinking to the bottom of the pool, the pressure increased. Between her blurred vision, she saw someone plunge into the water after her, but it was all a faded image. She could not identify the person. The last thing she noticed was the person wrapping their arms around her. After that, she blacked out.

* * *

Coughing, spurting out large amounts of water, Natarii was surprised to be alive. She sat shakily on her hands and knees like a dog, and a hand rest on her back. Her hair and face dripping with water, and clothes soaking wet, Natarii looked up only to see Naruto sitting there. Was he the one who dove into the water to get her? Obviously, since there was no one else around.

He looked completely normal, except for the fact that he looked completely startled. "Are you okay?" He asked as he tried to catch his breath. He was also soaking wet, and his headband had fallen down to his neck.

Natarii simply stared at him for a brief moment, then threw her arms around him and cried as hard as she possibly could on his shoulder. At first, Naruto was a little shocked, not necessarily expecting this kind of reaction from Natarii, of all people. He eventually returned Natarii's "embrace" and held her tight.

After moments of just sitting there crying, Natarii pushed herself away from Naruto and wiped her soaked eyes. She looked at Naruto, who had turned around, squatting with his hands held out to the back. He looked back at her with a smile. "Come on," he said, motioning for her to get on his back.

Natarii nodded and hobbled on her hands and knees and got on his back. She let her arms hang over his shoulders and she practically buried her face in his shoulder. Her last words to him: "Thank you."

* * *

_Hello there, readers. I just have a quick note. Every Saturday, I will post a new chapter. At this point, I have yet to fall behind! I am still several chapters ahead, and I don't plan on falling behind anytime soon._

_Thanks for reading! R&R! Let me know what you think. Inputs are greatly appreciated. If you don't like it, please tell me why, but be nice about it. I accept constructive criticism._

_-ChibiNinja45_


	2. Chapter 2: New Surroundings

Chapter 2: New Surroundings

Natarii woke up in a warm bed, however; it was not her own. Her body ached cruelly everywhere. Naruto sat on the floor next to the bed with his eyes wide open with anticipation. "It's about time you woke up."

Natarii didn't recognize her surroundings.

It was a decent sized room with a small table in the center, a sliding door that lead to a large outdoor balcony, a small kitchen, and a couch against the back wall. The couch had loose blankets and a pillow on it. Had Naruto slept there? The floors were relatively dirty, but there weren't any stray items lying out of place. Natarii didn't have a great sense of smell, but the place smelled like Naruto. She must've been at Naruto's place, which meant she had been sleeping in HIS bed.

Quickly she sat up, forgetting about the intense pain that was spread throughout her body. She yelped in pain as Naruto swiftly put his grip on her to hold her in one place. "You need to stay still. Sakura came by earlier and told me that," He said as he helped her lay back down.

Natarii nodded slowly, trying to avoid pain at all costs.

After a few moments of silence, Natarii finally spoke. "Is it true?" She asked in a soft whisper.

"What?"

"Nothing," Natarii sighed.

"You should eat somethin', ya know?" Naruto said, ignoring the fact that Natarii obviously didn't feel like talking.

"Not hungry," Natarii mumbled. She secretly pulled the bed sheets up to her nose and sniffed them. Naruto smell. It was a strange blend of the outdoors along with instant ramen cups, but to Natarii, it was a nice smell.

"Whatever you say," Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders as he stood up. "If you want something, just say so and I'll get it for you. I should be stuck here a few days anyway."

Natarii heard him, but didn't reply. All she wanted to do was rest, so she closed her eyes to make an attempt to sleep. Even if she didn't fall asleep, her relaxation would give her time to comprehend her thoughts and the mass of events that had happened.

If Naruto hadn't shown up, what would've happened? Would Natarii be dead? Would those horrible men/creatures have tortured her more than they already had? Would Naruto be captured and this so-called Nine-Tails be taken? Natarii was so scared. Scared beyond what words can describe. She had a feeling her attackers would come hunt her down again, and if she stayed at Naruto's place, that would put him in danger.

* * *

Naruto came running inside from the balcony when he heard a loud thump. Natarii lay on the floor, trying to push herself up in order to stand on her feet.

"What are you doing?!" Naruto asked frantically as he rushed to Natarii's aid. He put one hand on her left shoulder and the other on her back. He gently raises her up until she was in an upright sitting position. Tears were streaming down her face. "Are you okay?"

Natarii didn't say a word. She breathed heavily behind each sob, as if she was witnessing some sort of extraordinary disaster.

"Natarii?" After, once again, no reply, Naruto picked Natarii up in a cradled position and put her back in the bed. "Gotta be honest, you're _really _freaking me out right now.

Natarii attempted to get out of the bed, but Naruto stopped her. "You're not going anywhere." He said firmly. Looking into Natarii's terrified eyes, he found it necessary to say something encouraging. "If anything like the other day happens again, I'll protect you. You can count on that."

Natarii nodded. Her desperate, terrified, stare sent chills down Naruto's spine. Slowly, her grip on Naruto's sleeve tightened, implying she didn't want him to go anywhere - which he didn't. It was silent, the kind of silent that was sometimes mistaken as awkward, however; this silence didn't necessarily have an awkwardness to it. It was only awkward if one was to classify it as awkward.

"Have I let you down before?" Naruto finally asked.

Natarii slowly shook her head, still refusing to say anything.

"Exactly."

For the rest of the night, Natarii didn't say a word, which was somewhat awkward considering how much of a chatterbox Natarii is. Naruto tried talking to her every once and awhile, but only got a nod, shake of the head, or shoulder shrug out of her.


	3. Chapter 3: Trapped in Silence

Chapter 3: Trapped in Silence

Natarii stared desperately into Naruto's deep, ocean blue eyes, clutching his black jacket sleeve tightly as he was about to leave the room. Her glance screamed the words, "Don't leave me," yet she said nothing. Fear burned within the depths of her gaze.

"What?" Naruto asked, trying to understand the temporarily mute girl who had jumped out of bed and run over to him just to stop him from leaving. "I'm just going into the other room..."

Natarii's face didn't change. She was locked in fright-mode; that was for sure. Naruto sighed and took hold of her wrist and took her with him.

In the other room stood none other than Kakashi. His one eye that was always in sight widened a bit at the sight of Natarii in a sense of shock, but behind it there seemed to be a bit of delight. "Well, well, Naruto," He said with a suspicious tone. "Who's this?"

"A friend. It's a long story," Naruto replied.

Kakashi took a closer look at Natarii. Her hair was all messed up after not brushing it for several days, and she was actually wearing Naruto's clothes since her school uniform from the day of the incident was ruined. In other words, Natarii's image completely gave off the wrong idea. "Are you sure about that?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto's face quickly turned blood red. "It's not what you think! You've got the wrong idea! Natarii! Tell him what happened!"

Natarii looked completely out of it. As she continued to stare off in space, she inched closer to Naruto.

Naruto slapped his palm to his forehead. "You're not helping my situation." He looked back at Kakashi. "Anyway, she had some sort of encounter with the Akatsuki while Sakura, Sai, and I were on our mission...so I got her outta there and brought her back here."

"I figured it was something like that," Kakashi said as he opened up a book and began to read. "I was just messing with you. Anyway, Tsunade wants to see you."

"Yeah, yeah, alright," Naruto said as he turned back to Natarii. "Stay here, okay?"

Natarii shook her head violently. She inched even closer to him.

"You can't come with me everywhere ya know."

Natarii ignored him.

"C'mon, Natarii, just stay here."

* * *

Naruto stood in front of Tsunade's desk, Natarii still clinging onto him. He looked mift, wanting Natarii to let go of him even though he thought he could only imagine Natarii holding onto him like this.

Tsunade looked at Natarii and Naruto strangely, but didn't dare comment. She knew who she was talking to and figured asking wouldn't get anywhere. She explained to Naruto another assignment she wanted to send him on. Natarii wasn't paying that much attention to the conversation, so she had absolutely no idea what was going on. Her space out was broken when Naruto started talking.

"Uh...can I pass on this one?"

"What do you mean 'pass'? I just told you that we have some sort of lead on the Akatsuki and you want to 'pass'?!" Tsunade exclaimed furiously.

"That's not it! It's just that...uh..." Naruto pointed at Natarii. "She won't let go of me."

"Why is she here anyway?"

"Long story short, she ran into the Akatsuki and had the crap scared right out of her."

Tsunade thought for a brief moment and looked at a small stack of paperwork. She let out a few hmm's and spun around in her chair a little until she came to a conclusion. "It says here that the Akatsuki are hunting down for someone named Takanami, or 'Suroon', Natarii. Could this girl possibly be-"

"Yeah," Naruto said before Tsunade had a chance to finish.

Tsunade discussed a few more things with Naruto, making Natarii stare off in space again. They talked for what felt like forever, but eventually Naruto tugged at Natarii's arm motioning for her to follow him. "Come on, Natarii," Naruto said as he turned around, obviously ready to leave the room.

Natarii nodded and managed a small smile. She followed Naruto out the door. They walked through the crowded, unpaved streets, occasionally receiving a stare or two from the local residents considering Natarii was unusually, well, clingy.

Natarii was somewhat known throughout the village considering her history as Naruto's childhood friend. Some people considered her a legend since on occasion she was actually able to keep Naruto out of trouble. To others, she was considered a role model, since she was such a genius and she knew the proper ways to behave. However, to the select few, she was considered a nuisance because her true personality almost made her a female version of Naruto. Either way, she was loved by practically everyone in the village, so it shocked quite a few when they saw the way she was clinging to Naruto.

Once the two returned to Naruto's place, Natarii finally let go of him and sat down on the floor by the table. She looked up at Naruto, making sure he wasn't going to go anywhere.

Naruto walked over to a freezer and pulled out a white, paper package that held some sort of solid inside. "Couldn't you have let go a little sooner? You're giving people the wrong idea," he said, looking back at Natarii. He opened the package and pulled out a blue double popsicle. He broke it in half and gave one half to Natarii, just like Jiraya always does while he and Naruto are out training.

Natarii took the popsicle, and Naruto could tell that it made her happy, she just didn't want to show it. Natarii stuck the ice cold popsicle in her mouth and sucked on it. The expression on her face screamed the words, "I didn't want you going away from me."

Naruto could picture her saying that, especially with that stubborn tone of hers. "Whatever..." Naruto stuck the already melting popsicle in his mouth. It was a blueberry flavored popsicle.

Natarii smiled for the first time within the past couple days. It wasn't a whatever-I'm-okay smile. It was a true, genuine, happy smile, and all her emotions could be seen through it.

Naruto felt his cheeks warm up at the sight of her happiness. She didn't seem to notice his little blush, something she typically sees on the spot and orders a stop. Natarii was too enveloped in her little popsicle, which was already halfway gone.

Holding the remains of the popsicle steadily in her mouth, Natarii stood up and walked toward Naruto's bed and reached under the pillow. Underneath it rest a notepad and a pencil. Natarii always carried extra paper and pencils with her. She picked it up and brought it back over to the table. Once she sat back down, she began to write. When she finished, Natarii tore the piece of paper off and slid it toward Naruto, who was chewing on the empty popsicle stick.

Naruto looked at the note, adjusted its position so he could see it better, then read it.

"Please record today's conversation with Tsunade down on a sheet of paper in my notepad. You don't have to write it word-for-word, but I wasn't paying any attention whatsoever during the disclosure of information. Explaining with words won't do any good, so go ahead and write it down for me. I think I need to rest a bit more anyway."

Natarii made her way toward Naruto's bed, knowing he had read her note. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep.

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_The next chapter will be posted next Saturday, September, 15! Thanks for reading! _

_-ChibiNinja45_


	4. Chapter 4: The Chatterbox Returns

_Hi! Thanks for reading this far! I have so much planned for this story, and to be honest I'm not sure myself how I want it to end. I have some big surprises in mind. Keep reading, please! It is greatly appreciated! XD Now...enjoy the next chapter! Sorry, it's kind of short..._

* * *

Chapter 4: The Chatterbox Returns

Natarii awoke, not knowing how much time had passed. She didn't see Naruto anywhere, which made her a little nervous, but she knew everything would be fine for the time being. Resting on the table was her notepad and pencil, and next to it a steaming cup of instant ramen.

Natarii still felt exhausted, but despite her tiredness, she got out of bed and walked over to the table. She was curious about what Naruto wrote anyway. She began to read.

"At least you finally said something. You not talking is really freaking me out. Anyway, I was going to be sent out to find you and keep you out of the Akatsuki's grasp but since you're already here I don't really need to do that. Basically all I have to do is watch over you which I was planning on doing anyway. I had to get something so I left. I'll be back."

_His grammar is horrible...but his penmanship has improved_, Natarii thought to herself. She glanced at the noodle cup that sat next to her. She hadn't eaten much within the past few days. She was starving, and ramen noodles sounded really good, but when didn't ramen sound good? After about a minute of digging around through different drawers, she managed to find a pair of chopsticks. She pulled them out of the sleeve and plucked them apart from each other. She scooped up some noodles, blew on them, and put them in her mouth. The warm broth dripped down her chin, and they tasted amazing. As she ate, she used the pencil on the table and corrected Naruto's grammatical errors out of sheer boredom and annoyance. It was a pet peeve of hers when she saw grammatical errors especially since she was, in fact, a writer.

As she was examining the note Naruto had written, she heard the door open. Assuming it was Naruto, she didn't look up from her work.

"Oh, you're up." It was Naruto. Not that much of a surprise. He stopped and stared at her strangely. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing your grammar mistakes," Natarii replied with her normal, annoyed and sarcastic tone. "You know that drives me insane. I thought I showed you the proper grammar techniques. Apparently you weren't listening." She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing new, I guess." The sarcastic, smart-alec, genius girl was back.

Naruto stood frozen. He hadn't expected a reply from Natarii. He assumed she was still in her depressed, mute stage.

Natarii laid the pencil on the table and pushed the newly edited note across the table. "There," she said. "Study up."

Naruto inched closer to the table and sat down on the floor across from Natarii. "You're talking," he stated.

"Your observation is quite accurate," Natarii retorted. "I've just decided that it is no longer necessary to sulk in agony from such a frightening event. Now that I know the plan that you do actually intend to stay by my side, I suppose one could say I feel, well...safe."

"You're talking with big words again." Naruto sighed with relief. "That's nice."

"Do ya want me to dumb it down to your vocabulary level?" Natarii asked using a form of slang.

"No, no...just talk normally for a while. Hearing your voice again sounds nice."

"Does it? I didn't realize my voice had such a nice ring to it. And here I thought you were starting to grow irritated with my chatter."

"Only when you talk all smart and stuff. It's too confusing."

"I see." Natarii thought for a moment. "I have a favor to ask you," she said, suddenly talking in a less formal tone.

Naruto's gaze anxiously changed. "What is it?" He found it strange that Natarii was asking him for a favor. Usually it was the other way around.

"Is it possible for you to...I dunno...train me?" Natarii asked with a hint of embarrassment.

"Train you? For what?"

"Well...let's say I run into the Akatsuki or whatever while you're not around. What'll I do? Risk getting killed? I don't want to go through such terrifying circumstances ever again."

Naruto thought about Natarii's point for a bit. "Can you mold chakra?"

Natarii shrugged. "I dunno. Show me a blueprint."

Naruto slapped his palm against his forehead. "You should know I can't just write out how it works."

"But people you know can."

* * *

_The next chapter will be posted Saturday, September 22. Thanks again for reading!_

_~ChibiNinja45 ^_^_


	5. Chapter 5: Confrontation with Shikamaru

Chapter 5: Confrontation with Shikamaru

Natarii stood a tad in front of Naruto as they confronted Shikamaru, who was practically on the same intellectual level as Natarii.

"Oh, hey, Natarii," Shikamaru began. "Long time, no see. What is it you guys want?"

"Show me a blueprint of how chakra works," Natarii said instantly.

"Since when are you concerned about this kind of stuff?" Shikamaru asked, already sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Long story. Can you just show it to me?" Natarii continued persistently.

"What a drag..." Shikamaru said as he turned to his house. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into the depths of the wide doorway.

Natarii and Naruto stood silently outside as they waited for Shikamaru. It was only a couple minutes before he came back into sight. He had a long roll of paper tucked underneath his arm. "I'm still not sure why you're asking for something as complex as this," Shikamaru began. "Even I can't fully understand it."

"Just show it to me," Natarii insisted. She held her hand out for Shikamaru to give her the roll.

Shikamaru handed over the paper, and Natarii carefully outstretched it and studied it. The paper was covered with strange diagrams and descriptions, plus an equation or two.

Natarii pulled out her small note pad and began taking notes with a pencil she always kept in her pocket. Naruto peered over her shoulder to see exactly what she was writing down, and it turned out to be a bunch of mathematical equations and side notes he didn't understand.

After only a few minutes of note taking, Natarii looked back up from her pad. "This is ingenious!"

"You actually understand all of this?" Shikamaru asked, trying not to sound too shocked, but that didn't seem to work too well.

"Uh, yeah, actually. It's not that hard to understand. All it takes is a few simple calculations." She showed her notepad to Shikamaru. "See?"

"You consider those simple?!"

"I'm surprised you don't understand something as simple as this." Natarii puffed. She glanced back at Naruto, who looked completely clueless. "Naruto, on the other hand, that's a different story."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means you're an idiot, idiot."

"Hey!" Naruto was about to say something in defense, but Natarii cut him off.

"It's just a simple observation. An unrealistically simple observation."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly." Natarii smirked. She got back to looking at the chakra diagram. Naruto sat on the ground, a few feet away from Natarii, protesting. Shikamaru looked at the diagram as well, still questioning to himself how Natarii was able to fully understand such a complex piece.

"There's one thing about this that I don't quite understand," Natarii said, resting her head on her hand as she moved to sit on the ground.

Shikamaru's ears instantly increased their volume of intake. He knew there had to be at least something she didn't understand, and he was determined to find out.

"I've never felt anything like this make its way through my body. Is it possible that I don't have any?" Natarii may have been onto something.

"I don't think that's possible," Shikamaru said. "The way I understand it, if one runs completely out of chakra, they die. Therefore, I don't find it physically possible for someone to not have chakra and live...unless you're just a normal person who can't mold chakra at all."

"That's what my calculations said," Natarii inputted. She looked over at Naruto. He sat with his arms and legs crossed, not saying anything, but obviously acting like he knew exactly what Natarii and Shikamaru were talking about. "What do you think, Naruto?" Natarii asked with a somewhat evil smirk. "I would love to hear your opinion on this matter."

Naruto flinched at her sarcasm. However, he knew she was only trying to bother him, so he ignored it. He shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. She could be like Bushy Brows for all I know."

"Bushy Brows?" Natarii was now confused. "What's that?"

"You mean 'who.'" Shikamaru started. "He means Rock Lee."

"Who's Rock Lee?" Natarii asked. "I thought I knew pretty much everyone, but I guess I was wrong."

"Rock Lee is no doubt one of our strongest comrades, but the catch is that he can't mold chakra. Because of this, he can't use Ninjutsu, so that makes him a strict Taijutsu user."

"Taijutsu?" Natarii looked over at Naruto. "You never told me about Taijutsu!"

"'Cause I suck at Taijutsu!" Naruto retorted.

Shikamaru interrupted the small argument. "Guys like Naruto are strict Ninjutsu users. Especially him since he has more chakra than everyone else."

Natarii glanced back at Naruto again. He had that big smile of his on his face with a V-sign. She looked back at Shikamaru. "How come he has more chakra than everyone else?"

Shikamaru looked at Naruto, then back at Natarii. "I take it he hasn't said anything about 'it' to you."

"It?" Natarii wondered.

"The Kyuubi."

"Hey, you don't have to say anything about that!" Naruto exclaimed rather loudly, looking like he was going to assault Shikamaru for revealing too much information.

"Kyuubi?" Natarii thought for a moment. "Where have I heard that name?" She mumbled to herself. "Are you guys hiding something from me?"

"Well, I'm not going to force it," Shikamaru said bluntly. "Moving on. Where was I? Oh yeah-"

"Not moving on," Natarii said firmly. "You two _will_ tell me what's going on."

Naruto avoided Natarii's frightening gaze as best as he could. He pointed to something in the distance. "Look, a cat!" He exclaimed to change the subject.

Natarii turned around and matched her gaze with where Naruto was pointing. Prancing along was a little multicolored cat. Natarii's eyes widened with delight. "Kitty!" She exclaimed as she skipped over to the little cat.

Naruto sighed with relief. "That was close. It's a good thing she has a short attention span..."

Shikamaru remained silent. The two stared at Natarii in the short distance as she pet the friendly cat. She picked the cat up and came running back with it held tightly, but comfortably, in her arms.

"It's my new friend!" She exclaimed happily while laughing as she sang the words, "Soft kitty, warm kitty, happy kitty, cute kitty! This little kitty is my new friend!"

Shikamaru stared at Natarii strangely, for he had never seen this childish side of her. On the contrary, Naruto was used to seeing Natarii go berserk like this, so he sat watching her with a smile.

"So," Natarii began, suddenly serious again, the cat sitting in her lap, purring as she stoked its silky fur. "What's the deal with Taijutsu and Ninjustu? Does Ninjutsu require chakra and Taijutsu doesn't?"

Shikamaru tried to erase the strange image of Natarii goofing off with the cat out of his mind as he explained. "That's part of it. Ninjutsu requires chakra to create various attacks that go along with your change in chakra nature. Taijutsu, however, is basically different variations of hand-to-hand combat. If you're curious about Taijustu, I recommend talking to Lee."

Natarii nodded. "Will do!" She stood back up and let the cat go its own way. "Come on, Naruto, we're going to talk to this Lee person!"

"Hold it!" Naruto grabbed Natarii's wrist before she could go anywhere. "If you're seriously thinking of going against the Akatsuki, Taijutsu isn't gonna cut it. Even I know that."

"Then how am I supposed to defend myself if Taijutsu won't be enough?"

Shikamaru entered the conversation. "Have Tsunade examine you. She should be able to tell if you can mold chakra, and if you can't, most likely, she'll have a solution." He rolled up the chakra diagram and went back inside.

"I guess that settles it," Natarii said. "I'm going to see Tsunade."

* * *

_Well, that's it for Chapter 5! Hope you enjoyed! I will not be able to make it to my computer next Saturday (it's my friend's birthday. Happy birthday friend!), thus, the next chapter will be posted Sunday, September 30! XD_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	6. Chapter 6: Tsunade's Plan

_Hello! Sorry for the late update! As I said last week, it was my friend's birthday yesterday, so I was unable to reach a computer. Anyway, Happy Birthday, friend! Ha ha...well here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 6: Tsunade's Plan

Natarii stood before Tsunade with Naruto next to her. She had just finished explaining the situation with her advanced vocabulary, making it somewhat hard to understand. However, the message was clear: "Examine me. Train me."

Tsunade took a few moments to think about what Natarii had said. Part of it was deciphering the large words she didn't even know could be at a high school student's disposal. Eventually, she stood up and headed for the door. She motioned for Natarii to follow. "Come with me."

"Yes!" Natarii rejoiced under her breath as she made a fist of victory. She turned around to follow Tsunade.

Naruto was about to turn around and follow, but Tsunade cut him off.

"Naruto, you stay here."

He nodded, and turned back around, showing that he'd stay put. Natarii and Tsunade left the room and didn't come back for quite a while. After what seemed like hours, but in reality was about twenty minutes, Natarii and Tsunade re-entered the room.

Tsunade sat down behind her desk and began to explain. "She seems to be in good condition. Her chakra network is running smoothly and it should be easy for her to mold chakra." _Although there is one thing I'm a little unsure of..._Tsunade added mentally. _It's probably nothing, but if Naruto were to hear about my hunch…most likely he'd go berserk. _

Someone came bursting through the door. "Tsunade-Sama! I have arrived!" It was Rock Lee. His bowl shaped haircut stood out like a sore thumb, and his enlarged eyes gave Natarii the creeps at first sight. "Why did you call for me?" His eyes met Natarii and Naruto, who were both staring at him from behind their shoulders.

"I see why you call him Bushy Brows..." Natarii observed quietly, staring at the large mass of thick hair above his eyes.

"I know right?" Naruto replied.

Natarii scanned Lee from head to toe. She turned around completely to get a better look at him. She was a people watcher after all. She put a finger on her chin as she continued to "examine" him. "He appears to be quite the character," she said to herself.

Lee stared at Natarii with a slight blush. He was caught out of his trance when he heard Tsunade speak to him.

"This is Takanami Natarii. She-"

Natarii interrupted Tsunade. "I prefer _Suroun_ Natarii," she said stubbornly with her arms crossed across her chest.

Tsunade glanced at Natarii with a hint of annoyance, but continued. "As of right now, she is the number one target of the Akatsuki and is in need of training. I need you to train her in Taijutsu."

Lee brought his hand up to his forehead in a saluting position. "Will do!" He exclaimed.

Tsunade's gaze switched to Naruto. "Can you handle what I'm about to ask you?"

"Maybe If I knew what you were gonna ask me."

Tsunade sighed. "Help her with Ninjutsu."

Natarii jolted her hand in the air. "I object!" She exclaimed like a judge in a courtroom.

"Aw, come on!" Naruto complained. "I'm not bad at Ninjutsu!"

"That's not it. It's the fact that you're an idiot, idiot," Natarii threw at him.

"Oh, well now I wanna do it even more just to prove you wrong!" Naruto held out his hand. "Let's have a bet!"

"Loser has to buy lunch!" Natarii added as she held out her hand. Her determined smile was bursting with confidence.

Naruto grasped Natarii's hand. "It's on!" He exclaimed as he and Natarii shook hands.

Lee leaned over toward Naruto, who was walking next to him. "Pssst. Naruto-kun," he whispered so Natarii couldn't hear him.

"Huh?" Naruto looked back at Lee as he continued walking forward.

"Who exactly is this person?" Lee asked, pointing at Natarii. She was walking about ten feet in front of the two boys, so their chatter was out of her hearing range, or so they thought. "And is it just me, or is she cuter than Sakura-san?" Lee finished.

Naruto turned his head back to normal and set his eyes on Natarii, who's back was still turned. She walked somewhat frantically, as if she was trying to accurately calculate an equation of every step she took in her head. "Cute's not really the word for it...if you get to know her," Naruto replied.

"Really?" Lee sounded surprised. "Just look at her! Her brea-"

Naruto smacked Lee upside the head before he could finish. "Put a cork in it, Bushy Brows!" Naruto whispered harshly. "If you finish what you were about to say, you'll find yourself dead within seconds!"

"What the heck are you two whispering about back there?" Natarii asked as she abruptly stopped and turned around. Lee stood frozen in a stance of surprise while Naruto covered Lee's mouth with his hand. "Is it really so spectacular you cannot converse with me?"

"Why does she talk so weird?" Lee murmured behind Naruto's hand.

"Shut it!" Naruto pressed his hand harder against Lee's mouth.

Natarii sighed and continued walking. "You two better adjust to my company considering I'll be housing here for the next series of months. I do expect a nice, respectable conversation every once and awhile from you."

Naruto uncovered Lee's mouth and the two continued walking behind Natarii, but they kept their distance.

"I see what you mean," Lee whispered, leaning over to Naruto to prevent the sound from getting to Natarii's ears. "Cute really isn't the way to describe it."

Naruto nodded. "Told ya."

"What's cute?" Natarii suddenly appeared freakishly close to the two boys. She talked as if her formal, sarcastic, freakishly large vocabulary talk never existed. One could say Natarii appeared to be, well, the "cute" type. Her hands were bundled up by her chest, and her deep, blue eyes sparkled. "What's cute?! Tell me what the cute thing is! Nato-chan likes cute things!"

"N-Nato-chan?" Lee muttered. "That's adorable."

Natarii paid no attention to him. "Naruto-kuuuuun, tell me what the cute thing is!" She made "big eyes" at him, big eyes she knew he couldn't resist.

"U-uh..." A sweat drop appeared on his forehead. "I-I was telling him about the cat you held earlier! Isn't that right, Bushy Brows?" Naruto nudged Lee's shoulder.

Immediately, Lee nodded his head. "Y-yeah! You like cats?"

Natarii's eyes lit up even more than they already had. They appeared to be bright enough to blind someone. "YEEEEES!" Natarii backed away from the two. She pointed her index finger up toward the sky as if she were trying to make a point in a discussion. "They're my second favorite animal!"

"Then what's your first favorite?" Lee questioned. At this point, he had a slight interest in Natarii. He wanted to know a bit more about her.

"FOXES!" Natarii started spinning and jumping around in circles.

Lee glanced over at Naruto, who seemed to be enjoying himself while watching Natarii make a complete fool out of herself. "Well, isn't that ironic?"

"They're so cute! And cuddly! And loveable! And soft! I've actually pet one before. I wanted to keep it as a pet since they've actually started domesticating them, but my mom wouldn't let me. I met someone at the park once who had a raccoon as a pet!" Natarii continued her rambling. "I told my mom about it. I was like, 'How come they have a raccoon?! If they have a raccoon, I think I should be allowed to have a fox!' It was a tragedy all in itself! Don't you think?"

Naruto and Lee stared blankly at Natarii.

"It's a little hard to believe that earlier today you refused to say anything," Naruto said.

"What's wrong with not saying anything? I was scared out of my mind! I think that's a legitimate excuse to not say anything!" Natarii shot back.

"Good point."

Natarii looked back and forth between Naruto and Rock Lee. After moments of looking them over, she put her hands on her hips, satisfied. "You don't look like the kind of guys who're cowards. I'm glad Tsunade put you two in charge of me!" Natarii said with a smile.

Lee felt his cheeks warm up. However, the sensation instantly went away once Natarii, once again, invaded his personal space.

"Don't get used to this girly girly talk from a person like me!" She said harsly, glaring deep into the depths of Lee's eyes. "I know what you were really talking about! I have ears like a bat!" She leaned back and poked Lee's chest as hard as she could. "I'm not stupid enough to fall for such seduction!" Natarii turned around and stomped away, fuming with anger.

Lee looked mortified. He was frozen in place staring at the mift Natarii. "S-so scary..."

Naruto thought nothing of Natarii's little fit and followed her. He was already used to such behavior coming from her.

* * *

_Alright, well that's it for this week! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, October 6! _

_'Til then!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	7. Chapter 7: Training Begins

Chapter 7: Training Begins

The next day, in the midst of the clear, spring afternoon, the three teens stood in the middle of a large field that was surrounded by the forest. Many of the trees had scars on their trunks from the various kunai and shuriken that had been thrown against them. Some of the trees had targets nailed to them, and on some were dummies that were typically used for training the children in the Academy.

"What the heck are you doing?!" Lee asked Natarii frantically. His already freakishly wide eyes were even wider, and his enlarged brows were raised, showing he could not believe the sight.

She held her cell phone in hand, opening up the text messaging. "I need to ask a friend a favor before I forget!" Natarii snapped. "It won't take me that long, geez."

"Hands down, training is more important!" Lee exclaimed. "Put the damn thing down!"

Natarii's eyes lit up in flames of anger. "NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SCHOOL WORK!" She growled. One could say that when Natarii was at home, she always had her face buried within the context of a book. She was the genius of her school, after all. Lee gave in to her demands, and she finished her text. It said: _"Rei-chan! Can you mail me my school work to this address?"_ Below the message she had the address to Naruto's place. She pushed the send button, then put her phone in the back pocket of her training clothes she had purchased only a few short hours ago. It was the proper "ninja attire" to train. She settled with an orange vest with blue accents on the pockets and trim. She also had blue capri-length pants that were the same color as the accent on her vest. Underneath the vest was a gray colored piece of protective clothing. On her hands, she had finger-less gloves that were also blue.

Once her phone was secured in her pocket, she pulled out a hair tie, which she didn't typically carry with her, and slowly pulled her golden blonde hair back into a ponytail. "Alright!" She exclaimed as she pumped her fists in the air. "I feel official!" She was filled with determination and excitement.

"Hang on a sec!" Naruto said, holding his hand up as if he were telling someone to stop. He quickly removed his headband from his forehead and rushed over to Natarii. He stood behind her.

"What are you..." Natarii was unable to finish her question, for her voice trailed off.

Naruto pressed the headband against her forehead and tied it just underneath her ponytail. "_Now _you're official!" He said with a thumbs-up and a wide smile.

Natarii felt the smooth fabric with her fingers and turned to Naruto. "You're seriously letting me wear your headband?" She asked, eyes wide with intrigued curiosity.

"Sure. Why not?" Naruto said with a shoulder shrug.

Natarii messed with the headband a bit more. "This is awesome!_ Aurigatou_!" Her cheeks suddenly became sore from smiling.

Naruto raised his arms and put his hands behind his head and smiled, as he always did when he was satisfied with something.

Natarii turned back to Lee, her cheerful expression instantly turning into that of an angry old woman. "What is it you want me to do for a starter? Bushy Brow_-sempai_." She asked with a somewhat mocking tone. The moment she saw Lee, she knew he was going to be fun to tease. It was time to put that to action.

However, Lee paid no attention to her mockery. He energetically pinned himself to the ground and started doing one-handed push-ups. "Start with something easy like push-ups!" He didn't even break a sweat.

"I can't do push-ups," Natarii replied bluntly with her arms crossed over her chest.

Lee fell to the ground from his push up. "You what?!" He asked loudly in disbelief. He quickly stood up, and asked again, full with energy, "How is that possible?!"

"Do you want me to spell it out for you?" Natarii puffed. She found a stick lying on the ground. She picked it up and used it to draw an enormous amount of equations and diagrams in the dirt. She explained everything scientifically possible that involved her not having enough arm muscle to do a proper push up. Using the stick, Natarii pointed to her final equation/explanation. "You see? The muscular strength in my biceps and triceps does not add up to the quantity needed. Therefore, I cannot do a single push up properly," she finished. "Make sense?" The look in her eyes showed she was clearly making an attempt to confuse the two teen boys that stood before her.

Naruto and Lee looked wiped out from the intense explanation. "Natarii," Naruto began, "I think you're the only one who can understand you."

"What are you talking about? I made this easy!" Natarii smiled slyly. To her enjoyment, she successfully confused them.

Lee sighed. He looked over at Naruto. "Is she always like this?"

Naruto thought about Lee's question for a moment, then finally replied. "I only remember her doing it since I came back from training with _Ero_ _Senin..._I don't think she did it before then..."

"It's been going on longer than that," Natarii corrected. "It began the moment you left to go training with that pervert."

"Seriously?! I thought you just started doing it to drive me insane!" Naruto shot at her.

Natarii shrugged. "It's a lovely little thing called boredom. What else was I supposed to do with all the spare time I had? Studying seemed to be the only thing."

_You do schoolwork when you're bored?_ Lee thought to himself. _This girl has some serious willpower._

* * *

After several hours of training with Lee, the day was starting to grow dark. Natarii sat against the trunk of a large tree, exhausted. So exhausted, she could barely get herself to move. Lee had already left to continue his own personal training, and Naruto sat squatting in front of Natarii, poking her cheek. "Natarii."

No reply from Natarii. She was still trying to catch her breath.

"Nato."

Still no reply.

"Nato-chan. Natarii-chan." Naruto continued to poke Natarii. "Natarii. Natarii. Natarii."

"Whaaaaaaaaat?" Natarii finally moaned. She grabbed Naruto's wrist so he would stop poking her.

"Are you alive? You seem dead."

"I feel dead. Is Bushy Brow-sempai always so...energetic?" Natarii asked as she let go of Naruto. She tried adjusting her sitting position, but instantly flinched at the soreness of her body.

"Well, I guess we better call it a day since you're not used to intense training yet," Naruto suggested. He was about to help Natarii up, but she interrupted his actions.

"No," she said stubbornly. "I can keep going." Natarii got a grasp of the tree trunk and slowly stood up, grimacing slightly at the pain. She flashed a smile full with determination at Naruto. "I just needed a break...ack!" She instantly fell to her knees, for the pain from her earlier training was far too great.

Naruto quickly came to her aid and helped her sit up a little better. "I don't think you'll last if you go any longer," Naruto said jokingly. He moved himself in order to be in front of Natarii. He then squat down once again and held his arms out behind him. "Come on," He said looking over his shoulder with a smile.

Natarii reluctantly crawled shakily over to Naruto. She gently placed her arms around his neck and rest her body on his back.

Naruto hooked his arms around Natarii's legs and stood up. "You good?" He asked.

"Uh huh..." Natarii mumbled under her tired breath. She tightened her hold on his shoulders.

Naruto blushed a tiny bit, but didn't really think much of it. He picked Natarii's backpack up from against the tree trunk, then headed back toward the main part of the village.

"Hey, Naruto?" Natarii said softly.

"Huh?" Naruto glanced over his shoulder a bit to get a better look at Natarii, but not too much so he could still see where he was going.

"You're gonna show me somethin' awesome tomorrow, right?"

Naruto chuckled. "Are you already admitting defeat in our bet?"

"Never. I know..." Natarii's voice drifted off. She was sleeping soundly like a rock.

Naruto smirked. _She's kinda cute when she's sleeping_, he thought to himself as he continued walking.

The sky had grown dark and the moon was rising. The air had become chilly. The streets weren't as crowded. The wind blew softly against Naruto's face as he climbed up the steps to his apartment.

Once he was inside, he put Natarii's bag on the table, then walked over to his bed and gently laid Natarii down. He untied his headband from her forehead, then set it on the dresser that sat against the wall next to the bed. Finally, Naruto covered Natarii with the sheets and blankets that were already on the bed from the previous nights. He smiled at her, then went to the couch and laid himself down. Before long, he too was asleep.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! It seems like I started posting this yesterday...but I'm already on chapter 7! Ha! Anyway, the next chapter will be posted on Saturday, October 13! I will also be posting a new story on Wednesday, October 10! Until then, later!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	8. Chapter 8: Enter! The Perverted Sage!

Chapter 8: Enter! The Perverted Sage!

"Whaaaaaat?!" Natarii stared at Naruto with a hint of disgust, along with Jiraya, who had just appeared out of nowhere a few moments before. "You're leaving?! Now?! Seriously?!"

A sweat drop appeared on Naruto's forehead. "O-only for a few days! I'll be back and then we can resume your training-"

Natarii angrily clutched the collar of Naruto's jacket and glared deep into his blue eyes. "You mean to tell me you're leaving me here to start your own training when you're supposed to stay here and help with mine?! You're more of an idiot than I thought you were!"

Naruto didn't say anything. He just stared back at Natarii, obviously a little freaked out by her little outburst.

Natarii let go of his jacket and shrugged. "Well, I guess if the Akatsuki come after me again while I'm still unprepared, I'm not exactly sure what I'm gonna do. Who knows...maybe they'll actually...succeed."

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Naruto panicked, not appreciating the horrific images Natarii had put into his mind. "You can just come along and I'll train you whenever the chance comes!"

"Yay!" Natarii threw her arms in the air to celebrate her victory.

"It's okay if Natarii comes, right?" Naruto asked, turning his head toward Jiraya.

Jiraya examined Natarii from head to toe, occasionally giving a "hmm" or a "mm" as he thought. He closed in a bit on Natarii, invading her personal space. "You _are_ a girl, right?" He finally asked.

Naruto slapped his palm against his forehead.

Natarii glared at the old looking man. "What kind of question is that? Of course I'm a girl!" She retorted sourly as she backed away.

Jiraya crossed his arms over his chest and looked stubbornly to the side. "She's too plain."

Naruto flinched at the Pervy Sage's words. If Natarii knew what he was talking about, she'd go on rampage.

"Plain? What's that supposed to mean?" Natarii sounded clueless. It wasn't very often one would hear her sound this way, but whenever one did, it typically involved something somewhat perverted, things she truly did not understand.

Naruto relaxed a little. He walked over to Natarii. "Why don't you see if you can find Sakura? Tell her I need to tell her something but I'm too busy to find her."

Natarii stated blankly at Naruto. "Uh...okay?" She turned around to leave, but Naruto grabbed her shoulder to stopped her. She looked back at him anxiously.

"Lend me your glasses."

"What?!" Natarii was confused. Her vision was horrible - so horrible she could barely see without her glasses. "Are you insane? Why?"

"Just trust me on this one! You'll thank me later!" Naruto flashed that somewhat mischievous smile at Natarii.

Natarii sighed and reluctantly slipped her glasses off her face. "Don't break 'em. And if I run into a wall while I'm looking for Sakura, for you I might add, I'm blaming you."

Naruto took Natarii's glasses. "_Aurigatou_!" He put them on as Natarii walked away. He glanced back over at Jiraya, who was still moping about Natarii: the plainest girl he'd ever seen in his life. "Hey, _Ero Senin_!"

Jiraya looked up from his thoughts. "What is it?"

Naruto moved his hands to form a seal for Ninjutsu. "_**Oiroke no Jutsu**_!"

* * *

"Naruto! I couldn't find Sakura anywhere!" Natarii called from across the field about an hour later.

Naruto snickered. He had known before Natarii even left that Sakura was out of the village on a mission. "Oh, well that's okay," He said to her once she came back over to him. He held out her glasses. "Here."

Natarii took the glasses and put them back on. Everything was completely clear again. "Whew, thanks. I almost tripped a few times without these." Her gaze switched to Jiraya, who was lying on the ground, stunned, with a bit of blood dripping out of his nose. "What happened to him?"

Naruto quickly tried to come up with an excuse. "Oh...uh...a branch fell from the tree and uh...he got hit," He said, pointing to the tree that was just behind the fallen sage.

"Is that so?" Natarii continued to stare at Jiraya.

"Although if you wanna come with us so you can resume your training...he said that's okay." Naruto smiled.

"Really?!" Natarii's eyes instantly brightened. Her smile spread from her right ear to her left. "It's really okay for me to tag along?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah." He looked back at the Pervy Sage. _I guess I got him pretty good this time_, he thought to himself. "We can leave when he comes to his senses. In the meantime, I guess we could start your training. He could be out for awhile."

Natarii threw her fists in the air. "All right!" She looked at Naruto eagerly, eyes sparkling with wonder. "What are we gonna do? Huh? Can I call you _sempai_? Naruto-_sempai_! Oh! Oh! What about _sensei_? Naruto-_sensei_..." Natarii put a finger on her chin. "Naruto-_sempai_...Naruto-_sensei_...um...I like _sempai_ better. It has a nice ring to it. Naruto-_sempai_!"

Naruto laughed, scratching at the back of his head as his cheeks flushed themselves with pink. He felt a wave of authority rush over him. He smiled proudly, trying not to gloat about his new title.

"Well, you _are_ almost a full year older than me, _Sem-pai_!" Natarii smiled at Naruto with a childish looking smile. "To be honest, I'm not sure why I didn't start calling you '_sempai_' earlier..."

Naruto shrugged, trying to hide his enthusiasm. _I could get used to this "sempai" stuff.._.he thought. He moved to a fighting stance. "Show me what Bushy Brows taught you yesterday." Naruto motioned for Natarii to come closer. "Come at me!"

Natarii spread her legs apart and had her hands up by her upper body, ready to fight. "I don't want to hurt you though," She said sarcastically, overflowing with confidence.

"You probably won't even be able to land a hit on me!" Naruto boasted.

Natarii narrowed her eyes. "Is that a challenge?" she asked competitively.

Naruto pointed to himself with his thumb. "Why don't you try?" He asked with that mischievous smile of his.

Natarii didn't waste a second. She charged up to Naruto, fist already pulled back and ready to release for a punch. She threw her fist at him with immense speed, aiming for just under his ribs. Naruto easily countered the attack with a block. Natarii wasn't going to give up that easily. She quickly ducked under a punch Naruto threw at her and swept her foot at his feet in attempt to make him trip. Without an ounce of effort, Naruto jumped over Natarii's leg and stepped to the side to avoid her next attack.

"Hah! Is that it?" Naruto asked tauntingly after a few minutes as he threw another punch toward Natarii's shoulder.

Natarii quickly turned to avoid Naruto's fist. She then took a different approach. As she continued to turn, she raised her leg high into the air for a kick in the face. "I'm just...getting...started!" She grunted as Naruto caught her ankle with both his hands.

"Oh, really?" Naruto replied with a hint of sarcasm. He was about to pick Natarii up off the ground, but she moved too quickly for him to react.

Natarii was surprisingly flexible. She reached her hands toward the ground, and once she made contact, she instantly threw her remaining leg up toward Naruto. Naruto grasped her other leg, putting the two in a strange position. Natarii was practically in a handstand, and Naruto held her ankles. "What the heck are you doing?" Naruto asked, confused with her methods of fighting.

"Gah!" Natarii grunted. "That went so much better when I played it over in my head!"

"If I wanted to, I could probably kill you. You've given me the advantage." Naruto said, feeling empowered and somewhat smart. "I told you you wouldn't be able to land a hit on me," He teased.

Natarii yanked her feet out of Naruto's grasp and flopped ungracefully onto the ground, which resulted in knocking the wind out of herself.

"So far, I think I'm winning the bet," Naruto said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Natarii replied with a disgusted look. She playfully punched him in the arm. "There. I hit you." She said childishly.

There was a new presence in the area that had placed their hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto looked up to see who it was. "Oh, _Ero Senin_. You finally came to your senses."

Jiraya glanced at Natarii, who was staring eagerly at Naruto and him. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "We'll be leaving for the hot springs tomorrow morning, so get your things together."

"_Eeeeeeeeh?!_" Natarii and Naruto exclaimed in unison.

"H-hot springs?!" Natarii's face was blood red with embarrassment as the thought of going to a hot spring inn with two guys, one including a very perverted old man. It was never really something she wanted to do. "I thought we were training!"

"Yeah, what gives?!" Naruto added to Natarii's complaint.

Jiraya folded his arms across his chest and looked stubbornly in the opposite direction. "I need to pursue research for my next novel."

"You're still going on with that?!" Naruto shot at the Pervy Sage.

"Novel?" Natarii asked.

"You don't wanna know," Naruto replied instantly.

"Fine then." Natarii crossed her arms over her chest.

Naruto sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. We have no choice since its for the sake of our training..."

Natarii nodded in agreement. "Sacrifices have to be made in order to accomplish such achievements."

Jiraya smiled and laughed. "That's the spirit! I have a few things I have to do, so I'll be leaving first." He turned around and began walking away. "See you two bright and early in the morning!"

Natarii turned and began walking away as well.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Naruto asked, following Natarii.

"I'm gonna find Bushy Brow-_sempai_. We should be able to get more training in before the day's over."

* * *

_Well, that's all for this chapter! The next chapter should be posted on Saturday, October 20, but there is a chance I will not be able to get to a computer on that date. If that is the case, the next chapter will be posted on Sunday, October 21, at the very latest! Thanks for reading! _

_- ChibiNinja45_

_Oh yeah! If it seems the story is developing slowly, don't worry! Within the next few chapters, the intensity begins to build up again! Yay!_


	9. Chapter 9: Departure

Chapter 9: Departure

Natarii stared at the darkening sky as she lay flat on the ground with her arms and legs sprawled out in all directions. The intense training had pushed her past her limit, leaving her beyond the stage of exhaustion. The cool, evening breeze felt nice as it brushed across her face.

Naruto and Lee stood, leaning against a wide tree in the near distance. Their line of sight was facing Natarii, however; they weren't necessarily looking at her.

"Say, Naruto-kun," Lee said suddenly.

"Huh?" Naruto turned his head to look at Lee. "What is it?"

"What's the deal with Natarii? She acts so mature as if every ounce of youth in her body is gone. Yet, her appearance states otherwise."

Naruto leaned his head back against the tree, facing Natarii's direction again. He thought for a while, Lee looking anxiously at him as he waited for an answer. "Long story," Naruto finally said. "I don't really remember all the details." In reality, he did remember. He simply didn't feel like it was his place to say anything. "Let's just say Natarii had to grow up a little faster than we did."

"I see...tell more about her then." Lee's tone made it completely obvious there was something going on in his brain involving the innocent girl. To cover it up, he quickly added, "It's easier to connect with a student when you know their true personality!"

"I guess that makes sense," Naruto replied. He began listing things about Natarii. "At first, she's kind of shy I guess. She doesn't really interact with other people either unless they ask her something. A lot of people admire her, heck, I don't know any guy who doesn't have a thing for her." He continued on. "Once you get to know her she opens up a bit. She's stubborn, an egg head, and sometimes she has anger issues."

Lee nodded in response like he was making mental notes to himself.

A brief smile slowly crept across Naruto's face. "But she has a soft side too. She's nice, generous, helpful, determined, funny, sweet..." His voice trailed off and his smile faded slightly as his cheeks reddened.

Lee inched closer to Naruto, who seemed to now be lost in thought, blushing. "You have a crush on her, don't you?" Lee asked, somewhat enthusiastically.

"N-no!"

"Love is the sign of youth!" Lee exclaimed with eyes blazing like fire, also entering Naruto's personal space.

Naruto shoved Lee away from him. "Shut up! I already said I don't!"

"Denial is always the first step! You're denying the facts!"

"Heeey!" Natarii called from the distance, waving her forearm back and forth, for she was too tired to raise her entire arm up.

The two boys paused their argument and called in unison, "What?"

"Someone help me get up!"

"I forgot to mention demanding..." Naruto thought aloud. He started walking toward Natarii, Lee behind him.

Natarii reached both her hands out, assuming Naruto was going to help her up. Instead, he bent over and pulled her glasses off her face.

"Hey! Give those back!" Natarii rolled over onto her stomach and managed to push herself up onto all fours.

Naruto slipped the glasses on. "Wow, I didn't notice how bad your eyes are earlier."

"Give 'em back already!" Natarii jumped to her feet and tried to yank her glasses off his face.

Naruto managed to avoid her by stepping to the side. He posed with his hand on his chin as if he were thinking about something serious. "Do I look smart?" He asked jokingly with a smile. "I bet I look awesome!"

"Glasses were made for improving one's vision, not looking smart!" Natarii retorted. She pounced at Naruto again, only to fail once more. Due to her exhaustion, her knees gave out.

Quickly, Naruto caught her by the arms before she could hit the ground. Natarii stared up at him, actually quite astounded by the way he looked with her glasses on. One could say she thought he looked, well, extremely attractive.

As her cheeks reddened, Natarii reluctantly let Naruto assist her. Once she was standing up straight again, she took her glasses off Naruto's face before she could catch another glimpse of him. She slid them on, and her blurred vision became clear. She then folded her arms across her chest and looked in the opposing direction.

"Aw, come on!" Naruto exclaimed with a disappointed frown. He glanced at Lee, who seemed to wonder what he had just witnessed, and then his gaze switched back to Natarii, who was struggling to stay standing. "Are you okay?" He asked her with a hint of concern. "You look like you're gonna pass out."

Natarii turned back around. She felt dizzy and her head felt heavy. "M-my body feels like Jell-o," she replied softly. "Maybe we should head back...and rest a bit...we have to leave tomorrow anyway."

"Good point." Lee chimed in the conversation. He turned around and bent over, holding his arms out straight behind him. "I will assist you on your long journey back. Natarii-san, I shall relieve you of using your legs! Get on."

"No way," Natarii said bluntly. "I'm not getting on your back." She took a few steps forward. "I can walk perfectly fine. Why else did God give us two le-ACK!" She exclaimed, losing her balance as her knees gave out once again. This time however, she landed in a kneeling position on all fours. Instantly, she got back up on her feet, but grasped Naruto's arm for support. "I can walk," She repeated stubbornly.

"Are you sure about that?" Naruto asked jokingly.

Natarii nodded. "Yes, yes, I am."

"Alright, then." Without further ado, Natarii, Naruto, and Lee made their way back home for the night. Natarii was going to need her rest, especially considering what she was about to get herself into for the next week or so.

* * *

"He's late," Naruto observed as he stood by the main gate. His tone made it clear that he was greatly annoyed and was tired of waiting. His impatience was getting to him.

Natarii sat on the dirt ground with a rather large book in her lap, leaning against the large backpack that was filled with her mass of things she decided to take on the trip with her. Her friend had sent the things she asked for in perfect timing. Natarii glanced up from the textbook. Naruto was pacing anxiously back and forth, itching to get a move on. "Pacing isn't going to make the time go by any faster," She said with a sigh.

Naruto ignored her comment. He turned his head toward the main streets of the village, only to see Jiraya who was approaching at last. "Finally! It's about time you showed up!" He called from a few meters away.

"Sorry, sorry," The Pervy Sage apologized with a smile. "I was having an important talk with Tsunade and lost track of time."

_Liar. _Naruto thought to himself.

Natarii closed her textbook and put it inside her large backpack. As she stood up, she put the strapps it over her shoulders. "Are we ready to go?" She asked.

"Hold up, now," Jiraya said as he reached his hand into his pocket. Natarii and Naruto stared at him blankly as he pulled out a blue Konoha headband. He extended his arm out toward Natarii. "Tsunade told me to give this to you. You're one of us now, if I'm not mistaken."

Natarii's eyes widened as she slowly took the headband from Jiraya. "This is mine?" She asked with a sense of surprise, not looking up from her admiring gaze that aimed toward the leaf symbol on the metal plate.

Jiraya nodded. "Yeah."

Natarii's face instantly lit up, and she continued to admire her new treasure.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Put it on!" Naruto urged.

Natarii smiled as she placed the headband just against her forehead. She then brought the fabric around her head and tied a knot just underneath the ponytail she had put up earlier that day. Once she tightened the knot, she poked at the headband, still not believing she was actually wearing one – her _own._

* * *

_Another chapter done! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, October 27! Also, just so you know, I am starting to fall a little behind on my chapters. I will work so they are posted on time though!_

_Next is "Chapter 10: Arrival!" _

_-ChibiNinja45_


	10. Chapter 10: Arrival

_Wow, 10 chapters already...time flies. ^_^ Thanks for reading this far!_

* * *

Chapter 10: Arrival

The long walk along the dirt paths was beginning to grow tiresome, and despite the fact Natarii was adjusting to the long, intense days of training, she still wasn't as accustomed to walking or running extremely long distances. She walked slightly behind Naruto, who was arguing with Jiraya on his right.

As they went deeper and deeper into the woods, the humidity in the air seemed to increase, leaving Natarii feeling a bit overheated, but she could hang on longer for the time being. How much farther was the hot spring supposed to be? It couldn't be _that _far, could it? At this rate, who knew, and who cared?

However, the wait was about to be over. In the near distance, Natarii could see a small inn. It was a cute little place. The exterior was decorated with a variety of colorful flowers and other plants, and as they came closer, she was able to identify all of them with just a short glance. Outside by the front porch stood a middle-aged woman, who Natarii assumed to be the innkeeper.

The woman motioned for them to follow her inside. _I guess they were expecting us_, Natarii thought to herself.

* * *

"Ah! It feels so good!" Natarii exclaimed as she entered the steaming, hot, refreshing hot spring. She was currently the only one in, but she went toward the back corner, leaned against the tall, wooden fence that separated the girl's side from the boy's, and sank so low one could only see her eyes and nose. She started blowing bubbles in the water to occupy herself.

"Noooooo!"

Natarii jumped. She was startled from the sudden outburst from someone on the opposite side of the fence.

"I could've sworn this was a mixed bath last time I came here!"

Instantly, Natarii knew she was in the presence of some insane pervert. Or should one put it as, _the _insane pervert. Slowly, she backed away from the fence, but stopped at the sound of another person.

"Is that seriously the only reason we came here?!" It was Naruto.

Natarii continued to back away slowly from the fence. She hid herself in another corner of the pool - the one across from her original. She resumed her bubble blowing and her mind seemed to drift off into a world of relaxation. _Maybe this won't be as bad as I originally thought_, Natarii thought. She looked around, noticing the colorful flowers sitting in magazine-quality flower beds. Behind her was a small waterfall that gave her a sense of calamity as each drop of water hit the warmth of the spring. The showers were underneath the canopy of the porch, and there were a couple of teenage girls cleansing themselves as they sat on small stools, dumping buckets of water over their soapy heads. Every once and awhile, the girls glanced over their shoulders at Natarii, whispered a thing or two, and started giggling.

Natarii narrowed her eyes, and she sunk even lower into the water, enough to the point she could barely breathe through her nose. She felt a bit of frustration build up in her body. Who were these girls? They didn't have any right to be snickering about her. Although, it's not like Natarii wasn't used to such behavior.

It wasn't long before the two girls gathered their soaps and clothes and left the showering area. It was then Natarii was completely alone, except for Naruto and Jiraya on the other side along with whoever else might be over there.

* * *

Natarii sat inside her side of the room, which was connected by a sliding door to the side Naruto and Jiraya used. The two hadn't come back yet, so Natarii found the free time she had a necessary time to do some of her school work. It had become a habit of hers to do homework when she had nothing else to do, for when Naruto was gone training those long two and a half years, Natarii often found herself studying to help the time pass by.

She pulled out a rather large journal that was most likely the size it was from being opened, closed, and written in so much. It was time to make yet another installment to the story she was writing. She pulled out the pencil that was in her pocket and began to write. Before long, she was lost in her own little world.

She saw two people, a boy and a girl. The girl was Natarii herself, and the boy was someone she would recognize anywhere. He had short brown hair and green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. He also wore glasses, and dressed nicely in a collared white shirt and open suit jacket on a daily basis. At least, that was how she pictured him. The last time she saw him was when she was six years old; he was fourteen. If she was to see him again, he would be twenty-four, mature, and most of all, intelligent. However, this was all just a complex fantasy that resided in Natarii's mind. It was a fantasy she truly wished could become a reality.

The two were happy as they conversed; sharing each other's ideas, complementing or suggesting changes for the different complexities and principles. It was-

"What are you writing?"

Natarii was interrupted by Naruto's voice. She jumped, for he had startled her, and she quickly pulled her notebook up to her chest, hiding what she had written. "It's nothing!" She defended.

Naruto folded his arms across his chest in disappointment. "Fine...can't you at least tell me what it's about? You never let me in on what you write in that thing," He said, pointing to the journal.

The energized look on Natarii's face faded, and she relaxed her body as she lowered the notebook. She hesitated, then spoke. "It's almost the anniversary of when my brother died..." she said quietly. When Natarii was six years old, her brother, Takanami Keizu, became very ill and died a few weeks later. He was Natarii's biggest supporter, and the two we're very close. In particular, he was a fan of Natarii's writing.

"Oh, yeah..." Naruto remembered. It was only about a month or two after the death of Keizu when he met Natarii for the first time.

"I thought I would write about what I thought about how he would be if he were still alive," Natarii continued. "He'd want to see how far I've come...you know?"

"Yeah. Isn't it your birthday too?"

Natarii nodded slowly. The sickening thought of how her brother had passed on her birthday was not one she wished to remember. "I wish he could see me turn sixteen..."

"He is though," Naruto said with a smile. "He's always with you. You just seem to forget that."

Natarii smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the reminder."

Naruto lifted one arm and rubbed the back of his neck as he often did as a comfort reflex. "No prob," he replied. He stood up and walked toward the sliding door. "You should get some sleep soon," he said. "You're training more tomorrow." With that, he left the room.

* * *

_Hello, there. I'm going to do something a little different for the next chapter. Since I will not be able to get to a computer next Saturday or Sunday, the next chapter is going to be posted on Friday, November 2!_

_Next is: "Chapter 11: Natarii's Nightmare!"_

_Also! I am thinking about updating the cover photo. What do you think? Yay or nay? 'Til then, later!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	11. Chapter 11: Natarii's Nightmare

Here is the next chapter! I personally really like this chapter and have been dying to post it, and now I can post it! Yay!

* * *

Chapter 11: Natarii's Nightmare

"The Kyuubi...tell me about the Kyuubi." the haunting voice echoed in Natarii's head. "You're going to die either way...whether you say something or not." A mysterious figure with red-orange-ish colored hair and several rod-like body piercings tightly grasped the collar area of Natarii's blue t-shirt. His eyes were unlike anything she had ever seen before. They had a purple-ish tint to them, and when one looked into them, they appeared like a swirling vortex.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Natarii muttered. She could hardly breathe, for she had been lifted off the ground and the pain that came from her neck area was beginning to spread throughout her body. "What is this...Kyuubi?"

"Stop playing dumb!" The man screamed harshly and loudly.

Natarii yelped as she was thrown violently at the nearest wall, her head banging against it hard. She tried to hold back tears from the pain and hardship of breathing; she had the wind knocked out of her. As she glanced back up at her attacker/interrogator, she noticed his cloak. It was black with red clouds on it, just like the masked man from the first time she was kidnapped. "You're...Akatsuki," she managed to let the words escape from her mouth.

The Akatsuki member paid no attention to Natarii's comment. He picked her up by the shirt collar once more and thrust her back into the wall. He removed his grip from her shirt and then grabbed her neck. His cold fingers squeezed, choking her. "Tell me about the Kyuubi," he said again.

Natarii grunted as she attempted to breathe behind the pain. The airways in her body were blocked off - nothing could make their way through them. She began to sweat. "I...don't know...anything." Her voice cracked and it sounded as if she had a severe case of laryngitis.

"The jinchuuriki! Tell me about the jinchuuriki...Uzumaki Naruto. Does he know about your abilities?"

"What abilities?" Natarii spoke a bit clearer due to the Akatsuki member loosening his grip a bit. "I'm just a normal person." Natarii flinched as the grip was suddenly tightened, making her gag. She wailed in pain as the Akatsuki member's finger nails punctured her skin.

The gaze of the Akatsuki member narrowed, and he moved himself closer to Natarii, close enough for her to feel claustrophobic. "He's not coming to save you this time," He said softly. "You _will_ die."

Natarii lost her breath. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. Every ounce of life and sense in her was gone.

* * *

Natarii jerked her body up into a sitting position. She was sweating, and her eyes were stained from tears. She was shaking. Quickly, she looked around, making sure of her existence. She was in the inn. She had been sleeping on a futon that was in the middle of the room. The crickets still chirped loudly outside in the midst of the night, and the moon was high up in the sky. It was just a nightmare - an awfully realistic nightmare. Had she really been thinking about the incident with the Akatsuki that much?

Typically, Natarii would acknowledge the fact that it was just a dream, a harmless dream. However, there was something different about this one. There are those dreams that seem like reality, but are still a bit too unbelievable to be reality, and there are the dreams that seem to be all out reality. This dream was all out. She couldn't get herself to sleep again.

After staring at the ceiling for several minutes, Natarii decided it would be good for her brain if she got some fresh air. She rolled off the futon and untangled herself from the covers, then slipped her glasses on, a pair of jeans she had brought, and a soft, blue, hooded jacket.

Gently and quietly, Natarii slid the door to the side, and tiptoed out of her side of the room. She didn't want to wake Naruto nor Jiraya. But she didn't want to go out alone either. Her gaze switched to Naruto, who was sprawled out on the floor, half of his body under the covers. He wore a white shirt and his usual orange pants.

It wasn't her original intention, but Natarii found herself crouching next to Naruto as he slept. She poked his cheek. "Naruto," she whispered quietly. She poked him again, this time in a series of multiple pokes. "Naruto." She now poked him using both hands. "Naruto-kun. Naru-kun. Naru-chan."

Naruto swat at Natarii's hands, but he ended up slapping himself, resulting in waking himself up. "Ow..." He mumbled.

"Cool, you're awake," Natarii said, still in a whisper.

Naruto flinched, startled at the sound of Natarii's voice. He stared up at her. "What are you doing up?" He whispered in return, still half asleep.

"Just come with me. I need some air and I don't wanna go by myself."

Naruto yawned as he slowly stood up and put his jacket on. He wasn't sure why Natarii was acting unusual, but he could tell something was wrong with her.

* * *

The coolness of the clear, summer night felt nice compared to the heat of the day. The air was rather still, and the stars sparkled behind the brightness of the moonlight. Natarii and Naruto stood, both of them leaning over the wood fence that made its way around the inn. Natarii was silent. She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to tell Naruto about her dream, but she most likely would end up saying something - it was nearly impossible to keep something from him. However, before anything was to be discussed, Natarii in took large amounts of air, breathing deeply to calm her nerves.

Naruto looked at her, noticing her distress. Without hesitation he asked, "What happened?"

Natarii continued to stare out into the distance. She wanted to speak, but remained silent.

"Come on. Tell me," Naruto urged. He gently elbowed Natarii, causing her to look at him. His face was full with concern, which Natarii found quite strange, considering how happy and energetic he always was.

Natarii continuously hesitated, but she eventually spoke. "I uh...had a nightmare. That's all."

Naruto stared at Natarii strangely, but he knew that if she was this concerned about a simple nightmare, then it must have been quite the scare. "That's what this is about?"

Natarii nodded. "There was a member of the Akatsuki in it."

Bingo. Naruto's eyes widened with curiosity at the mention of the Akatsuki. He kept quiet and listened intently.

Natarii continued. "He had bright orange-ish colored hair, six piercings in his nose, and seven in each of his ears. There were metal rods sticking out of various parts of his body, and he wanted me to give him intel on something, but I didn't. He threw me into the wall several times, and," Natarii paused for a moment, trying to recall any more important details. "At the end of the dream...he killed me by choking me." Natarii finished her description quietly, intense surges of fear rushing throughout her body.

Naruto wasn't entirely sure what to think of the dream. If he was the one having the dream after having such a frightening encounter with the Akatsuki, he most likely would've felt the same way. No doubt. Without thinking, almost involuntarily, he put both his arms around Natarii, pulling her into a tight embrace. At first, Natarii was shocked. She didn't expect this kind of reaction from him. Slowly, she raised her arms from her sides and returned the embrace, feeling a sense of warmth between herself and Naruto. She didn't want to let go.

"What did I tell you before?" Naruto asked. His voice was soft and comforting.

"'Get some rest?'" Natarii replied, unsure of her answer.

Naruto shook his head. "I said I'll protect you no matter what."

Natarii remained silent, but took Naruto's words to her heart. She stood there in his arms, thinking about everything. The Incident had only happened a week or two ago, and so much had happened. Natarii knew Naruto always had her back, and he always would. That was a given since the beginning. Because of it, their bond had strengthened greatly.

Natarii and Naruto backed away from each other slightly, enough to where they were able to see the other's face clearly. Natarii had never found herself this close to Naruto before. She stared up into his deep blue eyes, which shone brightly in the moonlight. His hair covered his forehead messily from when he was asleep.

Naruto found himself returning the gaze. Natarii's eyes were wide with anticipation, and every ounce of fear had disappeared. She looked confident.

Natarii found herself moving closer to Naruto, and Naruto found himself moving closer to Natarii. It was a maneuver Natarii had never experienced before - one she didn't plan on experiencing for at least a few more years. Naruto was about to kiss her...and she was going with it! It was at the very last second she came to her senses and jerked her body around, causing her to face the opposing direction. Her face was bright red, and it felt hot like flames as her heart pounded. "NOO!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

Naruto jumped backward, startled by her sudden outburst, and also embarrassed from the entire situation.

Natarii slapped her cheeks repeatedly, hoping to come back to her senses. "No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!" She shook her head violently, then slapped herself once more, this time leaving her hands on her face. "This goes against everything I've ever believed in! Holy crap, I can't believe I almost did that..." She glanced back at Naruto. He was looking in another direction, cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. "P-plus," Natarii continued. "M-my lips are chapped!" She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out a small chap stick. She awkwardly applied it to her lips as she returned to her original position, leaning over the fence. "Th-that wouldn't have been pleasant...y-you know?"

Naruto chuckled and nodded.

Natarii reached back and rubbed the back of her neck, showing she was embarrassed. She smiled wishfully, somewhat regretting avoiding the kiss and not being able to experience it to its fullest extent, but that wasn't important now. "A-anyway," Natarii stuttered as she began once again. "Because of my nightmare, I'm now shrouded with a bit of anxiety. Will they come for me again? Will I be strong enough to fend for myself? Will I survive? What if you can't come for me again?" Natarii buried her face in her palms, which were resting on the fence. "I don't know anymore!"

Naruto leaned against the fence, his arms crossed as they rested on the top segment of it. "To be honest, I don't know what to say," He said bluntly.

"That sure is assuring," Natarii replied sarcastically.

Naruto laughed. "Sorry. I'm not good at giving people advice over this kind of stuff."

"I've noticed."

"All I can tell you is to not worry about it. Tsunade Oba-chan and everybody else wouldn't let anything happen to you." Naruto smiled.

Natarii nodded with a brief smile. "Thanks. We should probably go back inside now. I don't really want to be exhausted before I'm supposed to be."

Naruto nodded, and with that, the two re-entered the inn.

* * *

That's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, November 10!

Next is: "Chapter 12: Training with Naruto!"

-ChibiNinja45


	12. Chapter 12: Training with Naruto

Chapter 12: Training with Naruto

Natarii awoke the next morning to the brightness of the sun shining through her window. After her talk with Naruto, once she got back in bed, she instantly crashed and slept like a rock throughout the rest of the night. She couldn't remember having another dream, which was good. Another nightmare like that would've definitely taken a toll on Natarii's mental stability.

"Morning," Natarii mumbled under her tired breath as she slid the door to the side and rubbed her eyes to be rid of the usual morning eye boogers. She hadn't changed back into her sleepwear, so she wore the same jeans and jacket she had on during the middle of the night. A soft blanket was draped over her shoulders.

Naruto and Jiraya were already awake, eating breakfast that one of the roomkeepers had brought up. "Oh, you're up," Jiraya remarked. "I'm surprised you slept in this late. Naruto said you usually wake up pretty early."

"Huh?" Natarii looked around the room, hoping to stumble upon a clock. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten," Jiraya replied. He motioned for Natarii to sit down. "You'll need your strength today, so eat something."

Natarii nodded and made her way to the table. She sat down, glancing at Naruto, who was blushing and trying to avoid eye contact with her. He must've still been embarrassed from last night. Natarii didn't blame him. She was still quite embarrassed too. All emotions aside, Natarii broke a pair of wooden chopsticks and placed a few of the various foods on a small plate. Naruto and Jiraya were talking to each other, but Natarii didn't make out the words in their conversation. As she ate, she couldn't help but be nervous for what was about to come. Her nightmare still left her with quite the scare. Plus, the thought of Ninjutsu training was extremely overwhelming to her. What if she wasn't any good at it? Her pride would truly be shattered of she made a complete fool put of herself.

"I'll leave first," Natarii said as she stood up from her seat on the floor. She hadn't eaten that much, though, then again, she hadn't been eating very much since the incident.

"We're going out soon," Naruto told her.

"Gotcha," Natarii nodded. "I'll be back out, so we can leave then." She disappeared into her room. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. Once she found herself regained, she got dressed in her training clothes. Once that was finished, her eyes fled to the headband Jiraya had given her. She picked it up off the nightstand it had been resting on and tied it around her forehead. Satisfied, she was ready to go out into the fields and begin her Ninjutsu training. What she didn't know was that there were many surprises ahead of her.

* * *

Natarii sat against a tree in the shade, watching Naruto as Jiraya showed him the basics of a new technique. She was glad she was able to relax for a while longer, plus she was able to get the jist of what Naruto could possibly show her. Considering how unpredictable he always was, he could be showing her anything. Hopefully, it would be something easy to start with, then the level of difficulty would gradually increase like it did in any normal situation.

As Natarii observed, it appeared the two were doing training that helped improved the Change in Chakra Nature. Natarii remembered reading about it within the diagrams that were included in the blueprint shown to her by Shikamaru. If she recalled correctly, Naruto had the Wind Chakra Type. She remembered this from the time Naruto first discovered it; he wouldn't stop blabbing about it. It made Natarii wonder what properties her chakra had. She then wondered how it was even possible for her to have chakra - her family was completely normal. It was hard to come up with specific details for this, especially since she hadn't considered it before. She was itching for more details. For sure, this was one thing she was going to have to thoroughly research, but now obviously wasn't the time for research.

Natarii came to her senses when she noticed Naruto waving his hand frantically in front of her face. "What is it?" She asked, jumping backward slightly, thumping her back against the tree trunk.

"Are you ready? I'll show you I can win the bet," Naruto replied with a smile.

"Oh yeah, the bet." Natarii stood up. "You better prove yourself worthy."

"Trust me, I will."

Natarii followed Naruto out into the openness of the field. It was at the top of a rather enlarged hill and there were trees in the most convenient places. Jiraya now sat underneath one, watching Naruto as he led Natarii, also making sure nothing went wrong.

Naruto reached into the pouch that was attached to his right leg and pulled out a kunai. He held it out for Natarii. "Here."

Natarii took hold of the hilt of the kunai. She examined it, for she had never actually held one before. She looked at Naruto, clueless.

"I figured it'd be better to start you with kunai and such before starting with actual Ninjutsu since you didn't go to the Academy or anything," he said, reading her expression.

Natarii nodded. For once, she agreed with his idea. To her, it seemed perfectly logical. "Sounds legitimate," she said, looking down at the kunai. "Show me." Her eyes were filled with determination.

Naruto nodded and turned to a tree that was a decent distance, about twenty meters, away from him. He widened his stance, grabbing hold of a kunai he always kept hidden up his sleeve. He raised it slightly, ready to let it fly at any moment. It was as if the tree itself was Naruto's opponent. With extreme force and excellent form, Naruto threw the kunai.

Natarii watched intently, in taking every detail and making mental calculations: the amount of force used to throw the kunai, the wideness of his stance, the motions. As he moved, Natarii's brain mapped a diagram of every movement. The only thing left was to see where the kunai had landed. Natarii's eyes darted to the tree. The kunai was stuck in the middle of the tree, wedged in-between two pieces of bark. The attack most likely would've been a success. "_S-Sugoi_..." Natarii said, astounded by the technique.

Naruto smirked and looked over at Natarii. "Your turn," He said.

Natarii nodded and tried to duplicate Naruto's stance. Jiraya watched from a slight distance.

"Make your stance wider," Naruto pointed out. "And raise your arm up a little higher. Higher...higher..."

Before long, Natarii's arm was high above her head, almost straight up. "You're trying to make me look stupid, aren't you?" Natarii asked with a playful glare.

"Yeah, sorry," Naruto admitted. "Put your arm back where it was before."

Natarii did as she was told. She looked back at Naruto, waiting for further instruction.

Naruto got in the same position, as if he was going to throw another kunai, but left his hands empty. He showed Natarii the throwing motion, then motioned for her to try it.

Natarii focused on the tree Naruto had fired his kunai at. Then, she copied Naruto's form exactly and threw the kunai.

Jiraya was stunned as he continued to observe. Natarii was able to identically copy Naruto's way of throwing a kunai after one try. Just who was this girl? _Could it be she really is_...Jiraya began the thought, but his mind trailed off in a different direction.

Naruto was impressed, but expected nothing less from Natarii. He looked toward the tree, noticing Natarii's kunai had made its impact just to the left of his. Her precision was, no doubt, spectacular. Being a genius definitely had its benefits.

"How was that?" Natarii asked anxiously, filled with anticipation and excitement.

"Perfect," Naruto replied simply. "It's almost too hard to believe you got it on the first try."

Natarii smiled with satisfaction, pleased to know Naruto was impressed. "I was able to calculate it all in my head," She explained putting a finger on her forehead.

"I figured." Naruto walked over to the tree, the wind blowing across the field as he did so. Once he approached the large plant, he yanked the two kunai out of the tree and made sure to leave visible marks of where they had originally landed.

Jiraya continued to watch the two teens as they continued to throw kunai at the tree, each time as good as the first, if not better. Things were going smoothly...until Naruto decided to start Natarii's Ninjutsu training.

* * *

_Well, that's it for this chapter! To be honest, I'm really excited for the next chapter. It is to be posted on Saturday, November 17!_

_Next is: "Chapter 13: The Inability to use Ninjutsu!" Natarii's chakra network was perfectly fine, right? Even with that, things start to go wrong! Read next week to find out!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	13. Chapter 13: Inability to Use Ninjutsu

Chapter 13: The Inability to use Ninjutsu

"Keep watch over her," Tsunade's words repeated themselves in Jiraya's head.

"Her family name is Takanami, am I right?" He had asked her. The atmosphere was growing somewhat mysterious as the conversation continued.

Tsunade nodded. "I'm hoping it's a mere coincidence, but there's a possibility she may be linked to _'them.'_"

"_Them?_" Jiraya repeated. "As in-"

Tsunade cut him off. "Yes. Don't say anything about this to Naruto. If he finds out about this sort of thing, he won't take it well."

Jiraya remembered the conversation perfectly. He put it aside and continued to watch Natarii carefully as she kept training. _I suppose it is possible_, Jiraya thought to himself. _This is getting interesting_.

The day was growing old. The sky became a radiant orange as the sun set beneath the hills in the distance. It wouldn't be long before the night would be upon them and it be time to head back to the inn. However, Natarii insisted she continue. She was itching to learn Ninjustsu, whether it was something easy or not. "Please, please, pleaaaaaasee!" She begged repeatedly.

"Okay, Okay." Naruto easily gave in to her demands, as usual.

"Yes!" Natarii exclaimed, throwing her fists into the air. She couldn't stand still, for her excitement rushed throughout her entire body.

"Before anything special, you have to know the different seals," Naruto explained.

"Seals..." Natarii thought for a moment. She snapped her fingers when an idea came. "You mean the hand formations that you use to make the jutsu work?"

Naruto nodded. "There are twelve of them." He moved his hands and made each hand sign as he said, "Bird, boar, dog, dragon, hare, horse, monkey, ox, ram, rat, serpent-" He made the last seal. "And tiger."

Natarii nodded and copied him saying the names of the signs aloud as she did them in perfect rhythm. She did this a total of three times, for she had read that if one repeats a procedure at least three times, the brain would have no trouble putting it to action.

Again, Naruto was impressed. Although, if anyone was to remember such complexities with ease, that person would be Natarii. Her memorization skills were top notch at this point. He thought for a moment, deciding which jutsu would be appropriate for Natarii to start with. The kids in the Academy always begin with **_Henge no Jutsu_** (_Transformation Technique_), but for Natarii, that seemed to be a bit too juvenile. **_Bushin no Jutsu _**(_Clone Technique_) seemed to be a better approach. Naruto quickly weaved the signs: ram, serpent, and tiger.

Natarii watched closely as a puff of smoke appeared out of nowhere next to Naruto. As the cloud cleared, a clone of Naruto was revealed. Natarii's eyes widened in awe as she started clapping. She mumbled a few things to herself as Naruto withdrew the clone, resulting in yet another puff of smoke. "That's the **_Bushin no Jutsu_**, am I right?" Natarii asked.

Naruto nodded. "How'd you know?"

"Well to put it simply – "

"You know what? Never mind," Naruto interrupted. Whenever Natarii began a statement with those words, it typically meant she was going to explain some sort of freakish genius method he wouldn't understand. "Why don't you try? I'm sure you can figure it out."

Natarii nodded. She formed the three signs with her hands with ease, but there was something wrong. Nothing happened, and she felt a strange burning sensation throughout her body. Her arms fell limply to her sides. A sharp pain was increasing.

"Natarii?" Naruto's voice was full with concern, but it didn't reach Natarii's ears.

She was now hunched over, arms crossed, each hand clutching the opposite arm. Her teeth were clenched together tight, and her stomach was churning as the burning continued, making her feel as if she was going to vomit. She fell to her knees, losing her breath as blood came spurting out of her mouth.

"Natarii!" Horrified, Naruto rushed to her side and firmly grasped her shoulders to keep her from falling forward. "What happened?!"

Again, Naruto's words didn't reach her. She was practically howling, wailing in pain. Jiraya dashed over from his spot under the tree. He snapped his fingers in front of Natarii's agonized face. Her eyes were rolling toward the back of her head, only allowing white to show. Blood was now dripping from her nostrils.

Jiraya seriously looked at Naruto, who was still panicked. "Take her shirt off," He said firmly.

Naruto flinched slightly at the sage's words with a disgusted look on his face. "Perv! Now isn't the time for this! As if I'd let you in the first place!"

"This has nothing to do with my 'research!' Just take her shirt off! If I'm right, there should be an immense amount of heat coming from her body. This could help!" Somehow managing to remain clam, Jiraya uncrossed Natarii's trembling arms and took hold of the zipper on her vest. Once her vest was off, Jiraya continued with instruction. "Take hold of her arms and hold them up. We have to get her t-shirt off now."

Naruto nodded against his will. He gently took hold of Natarii's wrists, which only resulted in another shriek of intense pain. _Sorry, Natarii_, Naruto apologized mentally. As much as he opposed this method, he knew to trust his mentor.

Jiraya's eyes widened with disbelief at the sight of Natarii once her shirt was removed and all that remained was a black tank top that cut off just below her chest. However, this was not a stare of lust. It was a stare of discovery. Naruto had dropped Natarii's arms and let go of her when he saw it as well. She now lay on the ground, arms crossed once more as they tightly held on to her stomach area as if she thought that would kill some of the pain. Her body was tense and shaking rather violently with beads of sweat everywhere. On her stomach was a seal of some sort. It took the shape of ropes and chains, and glowed a haunting shade of red that reminded Naruto of blood. It went all the way around her upper body as well. Something was restraining her.

"I haven't seen a seal this advanced since the Fourth Hokage," Jiraya observed. _What Tsunade thought must be true then, _he thought to himself.

"Seal?" Naruto repeated. He looked back down at Natarii, worried. Her body was limp. She was now unconscious, for the pain brought upon her by the seal had spread to every corner of her body. The seal continued to glow that devilish red. "Why would someone put a seal on her? Was it the Akatsuki?"

"It's possible," Jiraya replied, remembering how he wasn't supposed to say anything about Tsunade's theory to Naruto. "But I personally don't think it was the Akatsuki."

"Then who was it?" Naruto asked. Anger was starting to build up inside him. "Natarii doesn't know anyone capable of pulling off a seal like that. What's the seal even supposed to hide? I thought she was normal!"

"Naruto."

Naruto paid no attention to the sage. "She hasn't done anything to deserve pain like that! Why would someone do that to someone so innocent?!"

"Naruto!" Jiraya exclaimed sharply. Naruto finally heard his master and shut his mouth. Jiraya waited a few moments to speak, just in case Naruto decided to go off again. Naruto remained silent, giving Jiraya the okay to speak. "We should get her back to the inn. As soon as we get there, I'm going to report this to Tsunade."

Naruto nodded and cradled Natarii in his arms. He lifted her seemingly lifeless body off the ground and draped her vest and shirt over his shoulders. Her face was covered in dried blood and her hair was knotted in several places from rolling around on the ground in agony. Naruto couldn't help but feel guilty about causing the whole situation, but at the same time, he knew he shouldn't because he didn't know about the seal in the first place. Natarii wouldn't want him to feel bad about it either. The thing that stood out to Naruto the most was that it seemed as if Natarii herself didn't know about the seal. Had she lived her entire life without knowing about it? Or was she aware of it, but didn't say anything? That didn't seem possible, for if Natarii knew about it, she wouldn't have attempted Ninjutsu in the first place. Naruto wasn't quite sure what to think of the situation. The thoughts rushed in and out of his mind as he and Jiraya walked back toward the inn.

It was quiet. There wasn't a single sound other than that of the rustling leaves in the wind and tapping of Naruto and Jiraya's shoes on the dirt path as they walked. The sky had completely darkened. The night was among them.

* * *

"So, she's protected with a seal, un." The voice came from a mysterious silhouette that stood atop a tall hill in the distance. "This is getting interesting. Although, I was hoping it was going to be something a bit more artistic…un."

* * *

_That's it for this week! Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, November 24!_

_Next is: "Chapter 14: The Long Night!" Tensions start to die down a bit, but not too much! Natarii discovers something she never would've imagined!_

_Happy Thanksgiving! 'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	14. Chapter 14: The Long Night

Chapter 14: The Long Night

"This is getting interesting. If only it were something a little more artistic, un." Deidara stared out into the horizon of the dark night. The rolling hills were lit up briefly by the brightness of the moon. Not wanting to waste any time, he reached into a small pouch that was attached to his belt that rested around his waist under the dark coat he wore. His coat had that same design with red clouds on it.

Deidara pulled out a small handful of detonating clay, clay that exploded when he wished for it to. A mouth-like opening on his palm in took the clay and molded it as it chewed. Within seconds, the tongue of the mouth held out the new piece of art, a bird-like winged creature. Deidara smirked with satisfaction at the sight of his creation. He tossed it into the air and formed a seal with his hands. A large puff of smoke enveloped the creature. When the smoke dispersed, the bird creature was revealed, and it had grown in size by at least one hundred times.

"W-wait! Senpaaaaaiii!" A childish sounding voice from the bottom of the hill called. He also wore the same coat and an orange mask on his face. _The_ orange mask. He frantically ran up the hill and looked up at Deidara, who was riding the now airborne bird creature. "Wait for me!"

"Get there from the ground, Tobi!" Deidara yelled from the sky. "I'm tired of your annoyance."

"Roger that!" Tobi yelled, bringing his hand up to his forehead to make a salute. He hoped Deidara noticed his movements, but he was already flying away. "Ah! Wait for me!" Tobi, with flailing arms, ran after Deidara, who was already a great distance ahead of him.

* * *

Naruto sat next to Natarii in the darkness of her room. There was a single beam of light that entered the room from the moonlight that entered the nearest window. Natarii lay motionless on the futon, and the covers rested, neatly folded, at her ankles. She was still unconscious. Jiraya was in the other room writing a report to Tsunade. He had to inform her of the day's events as soon as possible. As soon as he finished, he called for a messenger bird, and inserted the report in a small cylinder-like case that rested on a strap that went around the bird's ankle. It immediately flew away toward Konoha.

That was several hours ago. Now, the night was in full swing. Natarii was still knocked out, and Naruto remained next to her. It was around one o'clock in the morning, and he was exhausted. His head bobbed back and forth, for his tired body wasn't particularly able to hold his head up straight.

"Hey."

Naruto looked around the room, unsure of where the hoarse, cracking voice came from. "Huh?" He looked down at Natarii, who was staring back up at him. It was about time she woke up.

"Is it nighttime already? I can keep going." Of course, that would be the first thing Natarii would say after being unconscious for hours. Her voice was barely audible, and it cracked when she made an attempt to raise it. She grimaced, for the amount of pain in her body was still great.

"Heck no," Naruto replied jokingly. He couldn't help but pull off a brief smile of relief. He was glad Natarii was alright - for the time being at least.

"Why not?" Natarii made an attempt to sit up, but he was halted by a burning sensation that was excruciating. "I...can still...go," she said, grunting and breathing heavily, trying so desperately to put the thought of pain at the back of her mind.

Naruto quickly took action and gently took her shoulders and laid her back down. His hands were warm. "I don't think so. If you're smart, you won't move."

"I am smart." Natarii's comeback didn't have as much enthusiasm as it typically did. She let her eyes briefly wander around the room. There wasn't really anything out of place, but that was when she noticed. She had been stripped of her t-shirt and vest. She had a tank top on underneath, yes, but it did little to cover her the way she liked. Freaked out, Natarii frantically scrambled off the futon, tumbling and rolling toward the nearest wall. "JUST WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL HERE?!" Natarii screamed in terror as she entered a coughing spasm from raising her voice too loudly. The burning in her muscles increased, making it hard for Natarii to hold herself up. She noticed her jacket from the other day on the floor. She crawled toward it on her hands and knees, flinching with each step.

Naruto was truly awake after Natarii's outburst. He watched Natarii with caution as she slid her weak arms through the jacket sleeves, making sure she wouldn't hurt herself.

"I...can't...believe you," Natarii said, breathing heavily and with a hint of disgust. "Taking advantage...of someone who's...passed out..."

"Huh?" Naruto was completely oblivious. "What are you talking about?"

Natarii didn't hear him. Her body was breaking out in sweats that soaked her clothes. She immediately regretted putting on her jacket, but she refused to take it off. As soon as she zipped the zipper, she made her way back to the futon. Once she reached the edge of the mat, her arms and legs gave out, forcing her to flop on her stomach.

Naruto got up from his sitting position slightly and reached out to help Natarii up.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Natarii exclaimed. However, her voice was still a bit faulty. She stood up the best she could and finished crawling onto the futon. "I've got this." She laid herself back down. It felt good to relax her aching body, but now she was freezing. The thought of pulling the blankets up to warm herself didn't cross her mind.

Naruto returned to his original sitting position. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Jiraya, who came bursting in through the door.

"What's going on in here? I heard yelling!" He exclaimed crazily, looking from side to side as if there was an enemy nearby.

Natarii answered his question bluntly. "Don't teach Naruto to be some perverted stalker. It's not good for his mental health."

"WHAT?!" Naruto fell backward. Natarii's reply had taken him by surprise. "Where'd that come from?!" He glared at Jiraya. "It was your idea to take her shirt off."

"Oh, playing the blame game now, are we? I didn't know you'd stoop so low," Jiraya lied.

"The hell?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto! Watch your language!" Natarii shot at him with a sharp whisper.

"It's not what you think!" Naruto exclaimed in defense. "There's a-"

"Naruto!" Jiraya interrupted. His facial expression had become rather serious and he spoke solidly. "Now's not the time to bring that up."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah..."

Natarii looked from Naruto, to Jiraya, then back to Naruto. "What exactly are you two hiding?"

"Nothing," Naruto and Jiraya replied in unison.

Natarii puffed a breath. "Why do you always hide stuff from me? If it's important, I think you should tell me too."

Jiraya turned around to leave the room. "We'll get to it tomorrow. Right now you need rest," He said.

Natarii narrowed her eyes at him, but figured it was pointless. It was nearly impossible to argue with the sage. She rolled into her side and closed her eyes, not saying another word to Naruto, nor caring that he was still sitting there. He didn't say anything either, so before Natarii knew it, she was fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning, around nine, Natarii awoke. The sun was out, a blind, beaming light that was in just the right spot to come through the window and hit Natarii's face. Despite its horrible brightness, it was very warm.

Natarii moved cautiously, remembering how terribly her muscles hurt during the night. It pained her to remember. However, when she moved, the pain was almost completely gone. She found some spots more sore than others, but for the most part, she could move perfectly fine.

Her mind continued to wonder how she ended up back in her room during the night. If she didn't remember anything, she must have passed out. That was the only explanation. Why she passed out? That was still a mystery. Natarii came to the conclusion she passed out due to extreme exhaustion because of the severe pains that were in her body during the night.

Natarii removed the covers and sat up, her lower back and core aching slightly, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She stared at the blankets, for she couldn't recall falling asleep with them. It was then she realized Naruto was still in the room. He was lying on the floor, completely out. How long had he been awake after Natarii fell asleep?

Natarii stood up and stretched her arms out as far as she could. Luckily, there wasn't any major pain. She bent down and grasped the warmest of the blankets she had slept with and draped it over Naruto's shoulders. Once that was finished, Natarii opened the sliding door, stepped into the other room, and closed the door behind her. She saw Jiraya, who was sitting at the table writing on a small sheet of paper. Natarii remained silent so she wouldn't disturb him. When he was finished, he called for a bird, which came flying to the window, landing on a small peg that was in the wall. The bird was black with a small beak and a white underbelly. It had a small strap around its leg that held an even smaller cilinder-like case. It was a messenger bird. Jiraya inserted the report, and the bird flew off. He turned and noticed Natarii. "Oh, you're up. Perfect timing."

Perfect timing? Natarii was slightly confused.

Jiraya motioned for Natarii to sit at the table. "There's something I need to tell you."

Natarii made her way to the table and sat down on a flat, pillow-like cushion. She found it strange whenever Jiraya was serious, for he was usually so...crazed.

"Where's Naruto?" He asked as he sat down across from Natarii.

"Still sleeping," Natarii replied plainly.

"That's good," Jiraya replied. "It's best he doesn't hear what I'm about to tell you."

Natarii looked at the sage strangely. If she was going to have to keep the information from Naruto, of all people, she knew it must be important. She gave a nod of understanding.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" Jiraya asked. His voice was firm and serious.

Natarii shook her head.

It was just as Jiraya had assumed. He continued. "Do you have any clue of what happened last night?"

Natarii did a single nod. "I've come to the conclusion that I passed out from extreme over exertion. Based on my brain lacking the details of last night's events and the immense amounts of pain I experienced, I don't see how any other way is possible."

Jiraya was impressed. Natarii was right about the passing out part, but he had to reveal the truth to her. The whole truth. "For the most part, that is the case," he began. "But there's a little more to it than just that."

"More?" Natarii repeated.

Jiraya nodded. "To put it simply, someone has placed a seal on you - a seal that won't allow you to use Ninjutsu."

Natarii's eyes widened with disbelief. "A seal? That's impossible."

"With a sealing jutsu it's not. And I haven't seen such an advanced jutsu since the Fourth Hokage."

Sealing jutsu? This wasn't making any sense. "I don't know anyone capable of doing that. The only ninja I know are Leaf Ninja, and I didn't meet any of you until I met Naruto in grade school."

"Technically, that's not true. There are others you know, two others."

Natarii was beyond curious. She wanted to know who placed the seal on her as soon as possible. "Who?" She asked.

Jiraya hesitated. Then he spoke. "Your parents."

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, December 1! _

_Next is: "Chapter 15: The Truth About the Seal!" Natarii learns about her parents' past from Jiraya! Plus, a mystery encounter!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	15. Chapter 15: The Truth about the Seal

Chapter 15: The Truth about the Seal

"I don't know anyone capable of doing that. The only ninja I know are Leaf Ninja, and I didn't meet any of you until I met Naruto in grade school."

Jiraya shook his head. "Technically, that's not true. There are others you know, two others."

Natarii was beyond curious. She wanted to know who placed the seal on her as soon as possible. "Who?" She asked.

Jiraya hesitated. Then he spoke. "Your parents."

Natarii's eyes widened with disbelief. Her parents? Her parents lived a soft, happy, slow-paced life. They would wake up and eat breakfast. Natarii's dad would go to work, and her mom would stay home and see her off to school. While Natarii was at school, her mom would clean up around the house and read books - nothing too extraordinary. They were the most loving people Natarii knew. "That's impossible," Natarii finally said. "I've seen pictures from before I was born, and things seem to be as ordinary as ever."

"They did a good job hiding it," Jiraya said. "But there's no mistake. I could tell by just looking at you that you're the lone member of the next generation of the Takanami Clan."

"Takanami Clan?" Natarii was having a hard time taking in all the details. Even if her parents were ninja, she didn't understand how Jiraya could tell by looking at her. "How can you tell? I look nothing like my parents."

Jiraya smirked. "Oh, come on. 'Even you should be able to notice such a simple observation,'" Jiraya quoted her.

Natarii scowled in response. She felt as if she was being mocked.

Jiraya ignored her body language and continued. "You have your father's eyes and your mother's smile."

Natarii remained silent and thought for a moment. Her smile and her mom's smile were pretty similar once she thought about it. The same applied with her and her dad's eyes. That was one thing she had never realized. She was always busy with something else, so she didn't even have time to notice. However, whether she looked like her parents or not wasn't the issue. Natarii changed the subject, itching for answers to the questions she had to be answered. "What's so special about this Takanami clan?" She asked.

Jiraya didn't hesitate. "They were experts with sealing jutsu. It was impossible to find anyone more capable. The closest person I knew who had the potential to surpass anyone from the Takanami clan was the Fourth Hokage."

Sealing jutsu. There were those words again. Natarii shook her head to keep her mind from wandering from the subject at hand. If her parents were part of the Takanami clan, which seemed to make sense because her parent's names were Takanami, then that would mean the only logical explanation was that Natarii's parents put the seal on her. However, if that was the case, then that meant Natarii's entire life had been a lie. She didn't know anything about her parent's lives before about eight months before she was born. Her brother, Keizu never seemed to mention anything either. Natarii was beyond confused.

Jiraya broke the brief moment of silence. "It's probably not my place to be telling you all this, so I'll leave the rest to Makina and Kazuki."

Makina and Kazuki. Those were Natarii's parent's names. What Jiraya was telling her had to be true, although he was never the type of person to lie. The information was almost too much for Natarii. She quickly stood up, ignoring the small pains in her body, and rushed out the door. Before she left, she said the words, "I need some air."

* * *

Natarii sat on a small wood stool, pouring buckets of steaming water over her head. The water brought a brief sense of relief to the few sore areas, but after a few seconds, the warmth was gone, resulting in another bucket being dumped. Her mind was all over the place. She couldn't get herself to put the thoughts in the back of her mind.

Hoping for a better sense of calamity, Natarii arose from the stool and stepped into the steaming hot spring. Even though no one was around, she went to the far corner where no one could see her. She sat there, thinking, for hours. Was everything true? Were her parents really ninja before she was born? If they were, why did they stop? Why didn't she know anything about it? The heat was starting to get to her. Her face was red from the heat of the water, and she was sweating. Natarii suddenly came to her senses and realized how long she had been in the spring. She stood up from her spot and got out of the hot spring, grabbing a towel she had laid on a large boulder and wrapped it around her body as she did so. She walked across the wet floors toward a cubby with a plastic basket that held her clothes. She pulled them out: a pair of jeans, a plain light blue shirt, her jacket, and a pair of gray converse, and got dressed. Once she finished, she exited the showering area and found her roaming around the inn, still trying to clear her thoughts.

"Found you!"

Naruto's voice caused Natarii to bring herself to a halt. "Huh?" She looked at him from over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Ero Senin told me to find you and get you out of here." His voice was urgent and full with panic. He was out of breath too.

"Why?"

Naruto didn't waste any time. "Just come on!" He grabbed Natarii's wrist and started to run. Natarii was barely able to keep up with him. He rushed outside and stopped for a moment, looking all around - left and right, and up at the clear blue sky. Coming in their direction was a large, bird-like, clay structure. Deidara. Akatsuki.

"Damn!" Naruto exclaimed. "Ero Senin wasn't kidding!" He didn't give Natarii time to say anything. He swiftly ran toward the woods with Natarii behind him.

Natarii was confused. What was the creature in the sky? "What's going on?" She asked, trying to remain calm, but it wasn't really working.

"We have to make more distance first! Ero Senin told me to get you as far away as possible!" Naruto said in return. He still had a tight hold on Natarii as he weaved in and out of trees. Natarii almost caught up to him, so the two were almost side by side as they ran. After several minutes of running as fast as they could, the two teens found themselves not entirely in the woods anymore. It was a valley between the massive hills, but it was still crowded with many trees. Naruto had spotted a crack in the side of one of the hills. He and Natarii slowed themselves down and crawled into the small cavern that was just large enough for the two to sit in.

Natarii was out of breath and felt like she was dying, but Naruto seemed to have barely broken a sweat. Once she caught her breath and was breathing with more ease, she asked again, "What's going on?"

Unlike Jiraya, Naruto didn't hesitate. "The Akatsuki are onto us." He was very blunt with his response.

Natarii's eyes widened and her stomach churned. She never wanted to experience what the Akatsuki had done to her the first time again. Natarii pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them. She was scared, but knew she had to act as if she wasn't. She looked at Naruto, who was keeping watch through the crack of the small alcove. He had a kunai ready in his hand, although he very well knew that a simple kunai wasn't going to cut it against the Akatsuki. He was itching for action. At first, he was against fleeing with Natarii, for he would've much rather fought the oncoming Akatsuki members face to face instead of running. He hated running. However, remembering his promise to Natarii, he finally agreed to take her to a safe place.

Natarii was about to re-position herself, but froze as Naruto held out his hand to the side, ordering her to stop moving. There was rustling in the grass and bushes in the distance. Something was coming toward them.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! Sadly, I will not be able to make it to a computer next weekend. T.T Thus, the next chapter will be posted on Sunday, December 9, but there is a possibility it will be posted on Monday, December 10. Sorry about the delay!_

_Next is: "Chapter 16: The Battle Begins!" Who or what could possibly be coming toward them?! Natarii and Naruto find themselves in a bind! _

_I can't wait to post this chapter! XD 'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	16. Chapter 16: The Battle Begins

_Hey, guys! Sorry about the delay! Also, this chapter is kind of short...*sad face*, but on the bright side, the next chapter will be posted on time!_

* * *

Chapter 16: The Battle Begins

Naruto remained still, kunai ready. Natarii sat behind him, nervous for what was about to happen. Naruto's sudden actions had startled her. Why were they staying quiet? Why couldn't she move? Were the Akatsuki really that close?

The rustling in the bushes continued. Naruto's body tensed. He was ready to spring into action at any moment.

"Hello?" An unrecognizable voice called in the distance. "Anybody home?"

"Stay back," Naruto whispered to Natarii. His eyes widened at the sight of Tobi, the masked one. "It's him."

"Who?" Natarii asked quietly. She was frightened beyond her imagination. Her body was trembling and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

"The one who kidnapped you the first time. The one with the mask."

Natarii's heart stopped. She looked at Naruto, hoping for some words of comfort, but knew she most likely wouldn't get any from him in the current situation. He flashed a smile filled with determination at her, then crept out of the small cave in a way Tobi wouldn't notice.

"Where are you going?" Natarii asked, voice filled with panic and fear.

"Just stay here. Don't move. Don't talk. Don't do anything. Except breathe. Breathing is important." With that he left, but he didn't go very far. Natarii was able to see him through the narrow entrance to the cave.

"Hello?" Tobi's somewhat high pitched voice rang out through the valley. "Where did everybody go?" He asked himself. "Deidara-senpai isn't usually wrong, is he?" He continued to walk around aimlessly, not seeming to care what could happen to him. That changed when something went flying by his face, causing him to jump backward ungracefully, wiggling like an earthworm. He looked at where the flying object landed. He saw a kunai wedged in-between two pieces of bark on the nearest tree. "Woah!" He exclaimed. "Where did that come from?" He looked in the opposing direction and saw Naruto, who had remained in the same position after throwing the kunai. "Ah, I didn't know there were ninja from Konoha here," Tobi said.

Naruto glared deeply at Tobi. He pulled out a pair of shuriken, just in case he needed them. "What are you doing here?"

Tobi ignored Naruto's question. "You look like the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi," he stated. "How interesting."

"Just answer my question." Naruto readied himself in case there was an attack.

"It's a shame I can't capture you right now since it's not part of the mission. Otherwise I would. Senpai would be so proud!" Tobi clapped his hands together with satisfaction. His imagination was going wild.

"Just answer my question, dammit!" Naruto exclaimed furiously. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Tobi spun around once and put a finger up to where his lips would be. "That's a secret." He looked right, then left, then right again. "Unless you can keep a secret."

Naruto relaxed a little, but not enough to where he would be getting careless. "Of course I can keep a secret. That's easy."

"Good! Maybe you can help me!" Tobi exclaimed happily. "I'm looking for a little girl."

"A little girl?" Naruto repeated. He slid the shuriken back into his back pouch. Tobi was quite the moron. Naruto figured he could use Tobi's stupidity against him. "What's her name?"

"Oh!" Tobi thought for a moment l, but his mind was completely blank. "I don't remember."

Naruto slapped his palm against his face. "That's not much help."

"I think it was Suro Nataru or something like that," Tobi guessed. It was now obvious they were after Natarii.

"Hey! Tobi!" The angered voice came from above. It was Deidara.

"Ooh! Senpai!" Tobi exclaimed.

Deidara leaped off the gigantic bird-like clay sculpture and landed in the ground next to Tobi. "You idiot! Did you seriously tell this Konoha ninja the plan?"

"I only told him who we're looking for! Maybe he's not really from Konoha!"

"HE'S THE JINCHUURIKI, SMART ONE! OF COURSE HE'S FROM KONOHA!"

Tobi jumped backward, startled by his senpai's sudden outburst. "Th-that's what I thought...but you can never be too sure!"

Naruto stared at the two arguing Akatsuki members. He found this as an opportunity to make the first move. He made a few hand signs and leaped high into the trees with a shadow clone at his side. The real Naruto held out his palm, and the clone quickly rotated his hands around the real one's, creating a Rasengan. The clone disappeared and Naruto dove down at the two Akatsuki members.

There was a loud crash, and rocks, dirt, and debris went flying as Naruto's Rasengan made impact with the earth. His intention was to take care of Tobi and Deidara, but at the last second, they anticipated his attack and jumped out of the way.

Naruto stood up out of the somewhat large crater he had created. There was a massive cloud of dust that surrounded the area. He couldn't see anything past it. Until the dust cleared, he would be vulnerable for any oncoming attack. But one never came.

When the cloud finally dispersed, Tobi stood alone, unharmed. Where was Deidara? Most likely, he was hiding somewhere preparing for an attack.

"I'm going to be your opponent!" Tobi exclaimed. His tone sounded happy and excited. Why was he so carefree? It was starting to get on Naruto's nerves.

"Where's your partner?" Naruto demanded.

"That's none of your business since I'm your opponent!" Tobi remarked.

"I swear if he went after Natarii..." Naruto said, anger building up inside him.

"So _that _was her name!" Tobi was satisfied he finally remembered Natarii's name. "Natarii. That makes more sense than Nataru. Pretty girl, that Natarii. Too bad she's going to die soon."

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto charged at Tobi with his fist pulled back, ready to punch Tobi using every ounce or his strength.

Tobi remained still. Naruto threw his fist at the center of Tobi's mask, but somehow, his fist went right through him. Startled by the outcome, Naruto tripped and nearly fell to the ground. Luckily, he was able to keep his balance.

"Surprise!" Tobi exclaimed as he turned around to face Naruto, throwing his arms up in the air.

Naruto scowled at Tobi. He charged at him once more, only to get the same result. This wasn't going to stop him. He reached into the same pouch he placed the shuriken, and pulled them out once again. Eying Tobi, who hadn't moved at all, Naruto readied himself for another approach. He threw the shuriken at Tobi, and again, he remained still. The shuriken passed through his body. Naruto clenched his teeth together out of sheer frustration. Tobi was untouchable. Even worse, Natarii was in danger of being found out. And Naruto wasn't going to be able to come for her.

* * *

_Well, that's it for this chapter! Again, sorry it was short. The next chapter will be posted Saturday, December 15!_

_Next is: "Chapter 17: A Battle of Wits!" Natarii and Deidara face off! But Natarii has no way to defend herself! ...Or does she?_

_'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	17. Chapter 17: A Battle of Wits

Chapter 17: A Battle of Wits

Natarii remained still in the small cavern. Her heart was pounding hard. She could no longer see Naruto, for he had wandered further into the trees. She was terrified. Where was Naruto? Was he fighting? If so, who was he fighting? Where was Jiraya? Too many questions!

A huge gust of wind came from outside. It lasted for a few short moments, then was completely gone. The properties of the wind were suspicious to Natarii. It was as if something landed - something large. Natarii wanted to look outside, but she knew that was the maneuver of an idiot. She remained still, and covered her mouth with her hand to soften the sound of her rushed breathing. She analyzed the trees and bushes that were outside the cave as best as she could while staying hidden. She created a mental map of the area around her for the purpose of possible escape. However, her concentration was disrupted by a small bug that had started crawling up her leg. She flinched, for she was not a big fan of bugs, but it seemed harmless. It was a white, spider-like bug, but it had six legs instead of eight, and they looked like folded paper. It had a round body and two eyes the size of needle points. Natarii flicked the bug off her. The texture of the bug was quite extraordinary. It felt like...clay. Clay? Natarii couldn't identify the bug.

"Katsu!"

The voice coming from outside may have just been a fraction of Natarii's imagination. It all happened too quickly for her to tell. The bug exploded, sending sharp rocks from the cave flying in every direction. Natarii ducked her head and covered it with her hands. She tried to hold her ground against the forces of the explosion. As she sat, struggling, in her position, several rocks seemed to pummel her, resulting in many deep cuts along her arms and back.

Soon, the effects from the explosion calmed down, and all was still. Natarii slowly lifted her head. How she survived? She wasn't entirely sure of that herself. There was a massive cloud of dust in the place of the cave. Whoever set off the explosion would most likely be blinded by it, but, then again, Natarii was blinded also, for she was stuck in the middle of it. She couldn't see anything within a three-foot radius. Thinking back to the map of the area she had devised a few minutes before, the nearest tree should be around twenty-six paces to the left at a twenty degree angle. Clutching her bloody shoulders, Natarii walked in her predicted direction, trying to ignore the sharp pain caused by small rocks that had been embedded into her skin.

_Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one_, Natarii counted her steps in her mind. _Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six_. Natarii stopped and held her hand out. Sure enough, she felt the rough bark that protected the tree. Her senses were sharp. Referring back to the map once more, she assumed that if she stood beneath the tree she expected, the nearest branch should be exactly four feet from her head. That was going to be a hard jump. The forces needed to achieve that height were impossible for her. She needed a different alternative. She was going to have to climb. The dust was fading quickly. She was almost out of time. Natarii grasped the tree trunk and made an attempt to climb. Her feet slipped. Her gray sneakers weren't going to give her the traction she needed for climbing the tree. Natarii hopped on each foot as she stripped the other from her shoes. Now barefoot, Natarii tried to climb once again. The sharpness of the bark sent needle-like pains through her feet, but she was able to put it at the back of her mind. She climbed the tree with all her might, shoes dangling from her mouth, for she held the shoelaces tightly between her teeth. Once she was about thirty feet in the air, she was completely hidden by leaves. Natarii grasped her aching feet, which were cut up and bleeding from the sharpness of the bark. She removed her shoes from her mouth and chucked them toward the pile of debris, where they would hopefully remain unnoticed because of their color. Whoever was after her would assume she was dead.

By this time, the cloud of dust and smoke had completely disappeared. Through a small gap in the leaves, Natarii saw him - her pursuer. He wore the Akatsuki uniform, and his hair was blonde and pulled back into a half-ponytail. It was Deidara. "That was beautiful, un!" He yelled enthusiastically. "_That_ was art!" He walked over to the mess he had made. Looking at the debris, Deidara kicked at a few jagged stones, searching for any sign of life.

Natarii hoped she had effectively fooled her opponent. At this rate, it seemed as if she had. What was going to happen next? Would Deidara assume the mission was complete and then retreat? Would he continue to investigate and eventually fight her? Would it be a fight to the death? Natarii searched herself for any form of weapon. Nothing. She was physically defenseless except for the Taijutsu she had learned from Rock Lee earlier in the week. However, against a long distance opponent such as Deidara, Natarii knew Taijutsu was useless. The oncoming battle was certainly going to be an interesting one. Natarii had already figured out Deidara's ability - to mold chakra-filled detonating clay into any sort of creature that can explode. That proved him to be a long distance fighter. No one would want to get close to such explosions. Natarii was going to have to escape each detonation with her sharp wits.

Deidara continued to dig around through the debris.

_This is bad_, Natarii thought to herself. _He won't find my corpse. Then, he'll know I'm still alive._ She could tell by looking at Deidara that he was nowhere near the level of stupid.

"No body...un," Deidara said to himself. He continued to look around. His eyes stopped at the sign of Natarii's grey sneaker. With a smirk on his face, Deidara picked up the sneaker. "Smart girl," he said. "I have underestimated you...un." He suddenly raised his voice. "GAH! HOW FRUSTRATING!" Deidara nearly crushed Natarii's shoe in his grasp.

Natarii jumped slightly at the sharpness of Deidara's outburst. It was dangerous to move. Hopefully, her movements blended in with the wind. That seemed to be the case, for Deidara hadn't noticed. Natarii was safe. For now.

* * *

Naruto jerked his head in the opposing direction. The sudden explosion in the distance threw him off guard. What was it? More importantly, was Natarii okay? He wanted to abandon the fight with Tobi to see if Natarii was all right, but he knew only cowards ran away from battle, and he was no coward. Deep down, he knew Tobi was only a distraction used to keep himself and Natarii separated.

"Are you tired already?" Tobi asked. "Man, I was expecting more from a jinchuuriki. How disappointing. I knew I should've gone after the child." He turned toward the direction of the explosion. "Then again, it looks like Senpai's taken care of her already."

Naruto clenched his fists tightly. He couldn't bear the thought of Natarii dying. He promised her he would protect her, and he intended to keep that promise. Pure fury built up rapidly inside him. If Tobi was telling the truth, and Natarii was dead, Naruto had failed once again. Failure was not an option at this point.

"Natarii's not stupid," Naruto said to Tobi as he glared harshly at him. "Even if she's completely defenseless, you can't underestimate her."

"Is that so?" Tobi replied.

_Damn!_ Naruto remarked in his head. _This guy hasn't even tried to make a move!_ Naruto decided to rethink his strategy, not that he had one in the first place or anything. The ongoing battle turned into a nerve-wracking stare down between the two.

* * *

Natarii's heart was pounding harder and faster. She had to get away, but she couldn't. Not with Deidara so close. She could move to a different tree, but her timing would have to be perfectly in sync with the wind. The wind was, no doubt, unpredictable. It would be a one in one hundred chance if she actually got it right. But it was her only option. Slowly, she inched toward the edge of the branch she was situated on. So far, the wind was moving in her favor. Deidara didn't seem to notice. However, when Natarii thought everything was going well, her foot slipped. She was plummeting toward the ground.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! I will not be able to make it to a computer next Saturday, but you know what? I'm feeling nice! The next chapter will be posted on Friday, December 21! ^_^ You're welcome!_

_Next is: "Chapter 18: Natarii vs Deidara!" The battle between Natarii and Deidara continues! Will Naruto make any progress in his fight with Tobi?_

_'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	18. Chapter 18: Natarii vs Deidara

Chapter 18: Natarii vs Deidara

Slowly, Natarii inched toward the edge of the branch she was situated on. So far, the wind was working in her favor. Deidara didn't seem to notice. When Natarii thought everything was going well, her foot slipped. She was plummeting toward the ground quickly. At this rate, she was going to implant the ground head-first. There had to be some way she could hit the ground making as little noise as possible. Her mind was racing. Everything around her seemed to move in slow motion. Relying on timing once again, Natarii imagined if she brought her heels down from above her head, which would result in the rest of her body turning as well, then she would right side up by the time she was about to hit the ground. One foot would land, then the other. Without stopping, she would bolt behind the nearest tree, which appeared to have a trunk with a diameter of at least three feet. It was the perfect plan, in her mind anyway.

_THUD!_ As soon as Natarii brought her heels down from above, she impacted the ground, flat on her back. It took her a moment to realize what had happened.

Deidara quickly turned his head to see where the noise had come from. He smirked. "Found you," he said as he casually walked over to her. "I was beginning to think I underestimated you, un. Guess I was wrong."

Natarii caught her breath and quickly got up from the ground before Deidara reached her. She stepped backward, only to collapse to her knees as a sharp pain went through her right ankle. She clutched it tightly with her hand, hoping the pain would go away, but knowing it wouldn't.

"You can't get away, girl," Deidara said, looking down at Natarii as she struggled to stand up.

"Is that a challenge?" Natarii retorted, now standing, but still having to look slightly upward at Deidara, for he was several centimeters taller than she was.

"I'm not here to play games, un," Deidara said as a kunai came out from the depths of his large coat sleeve and into his hand. "I'm here to kill you."

Natarii rolled her eyes. "Like I didn't know that already."

"Don't smart-mouth me!" Deidara shouted angrily. "I'll kill you!" He lunged at Natarii with the kunai.

Natarii easily ducked under his arm and started running, with a limp, despite the horrible pain that continuously stabbed at her ankle. "Good luck with that!" She called back to him.

"Tsk." Deidara put the kunai away and reached into his pouch full of clay and began to mold with the mouth openings in his palm. The tongue on his left hand held out a multitude of the spider-like creatures. Deidara smirked and strategically tossed the explosives in Natarii's direction.

Natarii's mind went wild. _Eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-nine_, she counted each mine before they hit the ground. Once they were on the ground, Natarii couldn't see any of them. Not even one. However, despite this, she had a new map in her head. She remembered where each and every mine had landed. Each one was within a two to five foot radius of another. She was going to have to be careful.

Natarii took a few cautious steps to familiarize herself with the pattern. Then, she broke into a sprint, still limping.

Deidara watched the directions he sent the mines. He waited for an explosion, but one never came. It was impossible to dodge his mines, or so he thought. "Tsk." His frustration was increasing, and he hadn't even seen the girl. "I know you're out there, dammit!" He yelled furiously.

Natarii didn't turn back. She needed to focus on avoiding the mines. So far, so good. She was approaching where the last mine would be, according to her assessment. Relief came over her. Natarii leaped over the last "line" of mines, nearly tripping as she landed, but continued to run. She looked back, taking a small, random piece of hard candy out of her pocket. She threw it back toward the mines.

_BOOM!_

The trees went up in flames as the mines created a chain reaction as they exploded. _This will fool him for sure! _Natarii thought excitedly. She kept running deeper and deeper into the forest.

However, Deidara was already on her trail. He soared on the back of his massive bird sculpture. He smiled sinisterly as he sent down more bombs he had recently created as he flew. Each one fell right next to Natarii.

Natarii glanced behind her as she leapt out of the way and saw the Akatsuki member high in the sky. She clenched her fists tightly and immediately analyzed the situation at hand. She did not expect Deidara to find her so quickly. Plus, he now had the advantage since he was airborne. It was at the last second she noticed more oncoming bombs. She was too busy thinking up a strategy she didn't have time to assess any attacks. She stopped abruptly and faced the explosions head-on.

_BOOM! _

Natarii braced herself, but the waves from the bombs were too much. She was flung into one of the many large trees around her, her head slamming into the tree first. She couldn't breathe. The impact of the tree had knocked the wind out of her, and cut a small part of her forehead open. During that time, Deidara landed his bird and dismounted. He made his way over to Natarii, chuckling. "How'd you like that?" He asked loudly, clutching the collar of Natarii's shirt and lifting her off the ground. "I was beginning to think you were mocking my art!"

Natarii couldn't get herself to say anything.

"Let me give things to you straight. ART IS AN EXPLOSION!" He dropped Natarii. She flopped onto the ground and looked up at Deidara pathetically. "You got that?" He finished.

Natarii opened her mouth to respond as she stood up. "You..." Natarii pulled her fist back and slammed it into Deidara's face as hard as she could. "Make me sick!" Deidara went flying. He hadn't been expecting such strength from the small and feeble girl.

Natarii got into a fighting stance Rock Lee had shown her. Her legs were spread out a little further than shoulder-width, and her knees were bent for keeping her balance. Her right arm was extended out to the front, the palm of her hand facing the sky as if she were telling Deidara to come closer to her. Her left hand sat on her hip, ready for any action that may or may not occur. "If you're gonna fight," she began boldly. "Fight fair."

"Looks like you've got some fire burning in you, un." Deidara smirked. "But nothing can outdo my art." He leaped backward and landed on a tree branch. "Sorry, chick. Life's not fair...un," He finished sarcastically.

"Tsk." Natarii clenched her fists. "Why do you want me anyway?"

"You don't know? Well, this is interesting, un."

"Tell me!" Natarii shouted angrily.

Deidara thought for a moment, then answered. "Since you're going to die...I guess it won't hurt if I told you, un."

* * *

"Hooray!" Tobi clapped his hands excitedly after the chaos from the clay bombs had dispersed. "Senpai must've done it!"

Naruto was growing tired, for he still hadn't been able to land a single hit on Tobi. He had tried everything, and his face was splotched with dirt and sweat. More explosions was the last thing he wanted to hear. Especially since the atmosphere was now silent. "What are you saying?" Naruto asked furiously.

"The girl's gotta be dead! Deidara-senpai never fails!" Tobi rejoiced.

Naruto's eyes widened. He was greatly disturbed by Tobi's words. His rage was rapidly increasing. "DAMMIT!" He exclaimed angrily to himself as he smashed his fist repeatedly into a nearby tree trunk. Rage and senses of failure continuously wrapped around his mind. He had sworn to protect Natarii at all costs, and now that Tobi had proclaimed her to be dead, Naruto wasn't sure what to think.

_I sense your anger_, a haunting voice in the back of his mind said. _I can help you_.

_Go away!_ Naruto countered in his mind. _I'll settle this without you!_

_You need me_, the voice continued. _You need me to avenge her death. It's impossible for you alone to kill him. If you use me, you can do whatever it is you want. I can hit him. I can kill him._

Naruto suddenly didn't have control over his body. A red, bubbly shield of chakra enveloped his body and mind, and his pure, blue eyes were coated in a devilish red. His canines became sharp fangs, and claws formed on his hands. He was overtaken by the demon inside him.

"So, this is the power of the Kyuubi," Tobi stated. "Better get out of the way!" He scrambled to escape as the Kyuubi came charging at him, then ran in a distinct direction toward Deidara. "Senpaiiii!"

The Kyuubi was on Tobi's trail, reaching for him with a giant claw made out of chakra, and destroying nearly every tree in sight. It would be hard for him to escape.

Natarii turned her head toward all the commotion. Coming toward her and Deidara was Tobi. The Kyuubi was right behind him.

"Senpai!" Tobi called with a sense of panic. "The powers of the Kyuubi have been released! Run!"

Kyuubi? Natarii heard that term somewhere before. She took a second to jog her memory. The words of the masked man rang through her head. _"There are nine tailed beasts…you know the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki himself…I'm talking about Uzumaki Naruto."_

Naruto was the host to some nine-tailed fox demon? Was that the answer to the topic he always avoided when he was around her?

Tobi leaped up into the tree in which Deidara stood. The Kyuubi-controlled Naruto came crashing onto the scene, smashing trees to piles of dust, growling with pure rage.

Natarii fell backward, unable to keep her ground, for she was terrified. Her eyes were wide with terror - she couldn't believe what she was looking at. The happy, protective, laid back Naruto she knew was gone. She didn't even sense Naruto's presence. There was something else. Something evil. The Kyuubi.

"Better run, Senpai! Before he goes crazy!" Tobi exclaimed from the tree.

"Shut up! We stay here until the mission is done. This makes it more fun, un." Deidara responded. "Maybe he'll end up killing the girl for us."

Natarii stared at Naruto, not even noticing that Tobi was, as a matter of fact, the one who had kidnapped her the first time. Natarii was truly scared. Her friend she adored and cared about for so long was gone. He was lost. It was then Natarii knew she was the only one who could find him.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! To be honest, I am DYING to post the next chapter. But, to keep my pattern going, I will be posting the next chapter on Saturday, December 29!_

_Next is: "Chapter 19: Kyuubi Unleashed!" Naruto's rage goes too far! Natarii witnesses the Kyuubi for the first time and finds out why she's being hunted by the Akatsuki! _

_'Til next time! Merry Christmas! Happy __Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy holiday to whatever you celebrate! ^_^_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	19. Chapter 19: Kyuubi Unleashed

_I have a few notes to make before you start reading! _

_1. Suroun*: If you remember from the first few chapters, this is what everyone calls Natarii. Everyone thinks her name is Suroun Natarii, except for a select few. (She gave that name to herself - see my profile for more details) Just thought I'd remind you because I don't recall that name in the recent chapters._

_2. Yes, yes, Natarii can't use Ninjutsu. This chapter doesn't seem to apply those principles. (Don't worry, it's not over the extremes) I can guarantee there will be an explanation to that in the next chapter. _

_3. When Natarii says, "pure instinct," she literally means that. In the first episodes of an anime where the hero's abilities are first put into practice, they always end up doing it in some inexpiable way - the characters themselves don't even understand. That's the message I'm trying to get across here._

_Now, enough of my rambling! Enjoy the next chapter! XD_

* * *

Chapter 19: Kyuubi Unleashed

_"Your abilities. That's what we want. They'd make capturing the tailed beasts that much easier."_

Deidara's words echoed repetitively in Natarii's mind. Apparently this "tailed beast" thing wasn't a hoax as she earlier thought. It was real, unbelievably real. What was it about her that the Akatsuki wanted? It was some sort of ability, but Naruto and Tobi came crashing onto the scene before Deidara could finish explaining.

_"They'd make capturing the tailed beasts that much easier."_

Thinking back on Deidara's words, Natarii came to the conclusion that her supposed ability obviously had something to do with the tailed beasts. Which meant, whatever it was, it could work on Naruto.

Natarii's horrified eyes continued to stare at Naruto, who had been overtaken by the Kyuubi. Coming out of the chakra cloak were three tails. She assumed if the complete total if nine tails appeared, the Kyuubi would go on rampage, and Naruto would subconsciously wreak all havoc. She was right.

The Kyuubi turned to Natarii. It's devilish glare was locked on her. She never imagined that something so terrifying and evil lived inside Naruto. She was definitely going to question him later, but that was at the back of her mind at this point.

"N-Naruto?" Natarii whispered his name. "Snap out of it...will you?" Her body was trembling.

The Kyuubi growled at her violently. Suddenly, but slowly, another tail sprouted, and the Kyuubi took a new form. There was no longer any trace of Naruto left. The color of the Kyuubi was a dark red, a red so dark it reminded Natarii of blood. It stood on all-fours, had two pointy ears, and dark eyes. It let out another blood-curdling growl. Natarii had to cover her ears.

The Kyuubi turned around and jerked one of its tails at Natarii. She didn't know what to do. Instinct told her to jump out of the way, so she did. But it was too late. The tail made contact with her left shoulder, flinging her into the nearest tree about fifteen feet away. The forces were strong, forcing Natarii's limp body completely through the trunk, causing the tree to collapse. A cloud of dust and dirt arose. Natarii continued to fly backward until she flopped onto the ground on her back. She skid along the ground, multiple rocks and twigs tearing at her clothes, until she was stopped by a large boulder. Once again, the wind was knocked out of her. There was a huge, swollen, welt with that brought a huge twinge on her left shoulder from the Kyuubi's assault.

"Woah!" Tobi threw his arms in the air. "That was exciting! So this is the power of the Kyuubi!" He turned to Deidara. "Can't we just capture it now?"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "If he killed the girl."

The Kyuubi raised its four tails up to the tip of its ears. A black orb of energy gradually formed. It was getting bigger and bigger.

"Is this what I think it is?!" Tobi panicked. "THE _BIJUU BOMB_?!"

"Bomb?!" Deidara repeated. He looked down at the Kyuubi, eyes burning with anger. "YOU DARE MOCK MY ART?! OH, IT IS ON!" Deidara reached into his pouch of clay.

"DON'T!"

Deidara paused at the sound of Natarii's loud shout. Her voice was noticeably exhausted, for it cracked when she screamed. She was trying to restrain the Kyuubi, her arms wrapped around its neck as she tried to hold it down. How she approached it with such ease without getting pummeled? He didn't know. How such close contact with the Kyuubi didn't burn or disintegrate her skin? He didn't know that either. However, he noticed a bluish colored glow coming from Natarii. Her breathing was heavy, and she had large amounts of blood stained on her clothes and face.

"Don't hurt him!" Natarii continued.

Deidara looked from Natarii to the _Bijuu Bomb_. It was getting smaller. _So, this is the ability Leader-Sama was talking about_, he thought. He looked back down at Natarii, who was covering her mouth as blood came spurting out. _Pathetic_. Deidara reached into his pouch once more. This time, he intended to continue.

"I SAID DON'T HURT HIM!" Natarii shouted. Tears flowed rapidly down her cheeks, for she was in so much pain from her injury, and the effects of the seal were slowly returning. She tightened her hold on the Kyuubi, which growled viciously once again. "CUT IT OUT! NARUTO, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE SOMEWHERE!"

* * *

_DRIP. DRIP._

The atmosphere was dim. Naruto stood in a shallow pool of water in front of a large gate. Staring at him through the gate was a pair of extraordinarily evil eyes. The Kyuubi.

_"Naruto! Hang in there, Naruto!"_

A voice? Who was it? Naruto didn't pay any attention to it. He walked slowly toward the gate as if he was in some sort of trance.

_"Naruto!"_

He heard the voice again, but continued to walk forward. He was almost to the gate, reaching out toward one of the metal poles.

"NARUTO! IDIOT! WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME?!"

Naruto was about to grab the pole, but paused right before he could get a hold on it. The voice sounded clear that time, as if there was another presence in the area. Slowly, Naruto turned his head, only to see Natarii splashing through the water. She was coming toward him. Instantly, he came to his senses. His eyes were wide with surprise. "Natarii?" He said her name aloud as if he was unsure he was seeing things or not. Was it real? Or was it a hallucination? He started walking toward her, away from the gate.

Natarii continued to run, her legs soaking wet from the splashing water. She approached Naruto, and threw her arms around him. Naruto gladly returned the embrace, realizing that it wasn't an illusion. He didn't want to let go. His hold on her was firm and warm.

"I thought you were dead," he said, sounding like he was holding back tears, but he never shed any.

Natarii chuckled. "Why would you think that? I'm not that much of a weakling."

"That's what he said - the one with the mask," Naruto answered. "He said you were dead." He let go of Natarii, and she did the same to him.

Natarii playfully nudged Naruto's shoulder. "You're so gullible."

Naruto pointed to Natarii's swollen shoulder. "What happened?"

Natarii looked at her shoulder. For some reason, she couldn't feel any pain. "Oh, this?" She answered nervously. "It's um...from the explosions. You know...from debris flying onto me and stuff." She lied.

Naruto nodded and continued to look at her from head to toe. Her face was filthy and covered with bloody cuts and stains. Her clothes were torn and tattered in various places, and she was barefoot from when she threw her shoes away to distract Deidara. "Where are your shoes?" Naruto finally asked.

"Long story," Natarii replied. "It can wait until later. There's something I need to take care of." She looked nervous, and her body was trembling. Her gaze switched to the Kyuubi who continued to glare evilly.

"Who are you?" It's loud, haunting voice boomed throughout the room.

Naruto swiftly turned around and held both his arms out to the side, as if telling Natarii not to move any further. "Like it's any of your business!" He shot at the Kyuubi.

The Kyuubi leaned forward slightly, revealing its face. It had a long, somewhat pointy, snout that was covered with red-orange-ish fur. Its gleaming red eyes sent out a death glare, and its sharp fangs didn't send out a nice message either. It examined Natarii. "Blonde hair, blue eyes...at first sight she looks like a Namikaze." The Kyuubi paused for a moment, thinking as he tried to identify Natarii. "Not particularly tall, small ears..."

Natarii covered her ears.

"Unrealistically smart...You must be a Takanami."

Natarii's eyes widened with disbelief. "Unbelievable," she whispered to herself.

"What are you talking about? I thought your family name was Suroun*," Naruto questioned.

"No, that's the name I gave myself," Natarii replied softly. "My real name is Takanami Natarii. I thought you knew that."

"The single member of the next generation of the Takanami Clan," the Kyuubi interrupted before Naruto could say anything. "What a surprise. I suppose you've come to re-seal me?"

"Re-seal?" Naruto sounded clueless. "I don't get it. The seal's completely fine." It was then Naruto remembered he hadn't said anything to Natarii about the Kyuubi. "Wait a minute," Naruto began, looking back at Natarii. "How'd you get here?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself." It wasn't very often one would hear those words come out of Natarii's mouth. "I suppose one could say I'm relying on pure instinct right now." She slowly stepped through the water and passed Naruto.

"What're you doing?!" Naruto panicked. "It's not safe for you to go any further!"

Natarii stopped, but didn't look back. "I told you, I'm following my instincts. You saved my life. Now, it's time for me to save yours." She brought her hands up from her sides and weaved the hand sign: _tiger_.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! Once again, I'm dying to post the next, but I have to keep my pattern going. Sorry, guys. Even though I am several chapters ahead of what I am posting, I cannot post them all at once or else I will have to stop my consistent posting. I won't be able to make it to a computer next Saturday, so I'll post a day early. How's that? The next chapter will be posted Friday, January 4._

_Next is: "Chapter 20: Natarii's Abilities!" Natarii's instincts lead to a great power that can re-seal the Kyuubi! However, the effects of her own seal start to prevent her from doing so! Can she overcome the seal and bring Naruto out of the Kyuubi's grasp?_

_'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	20. Chapter 20: Natarii's Abilities

_I have to admit, this is my favorite chapter that I have typed as of yet. So glad this is my 20th chapter! I wouldn't trade it for another one! XD I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do!_

* * *

Chapter 20: Natarii's Abilities

"What're you doing?!" Naruto panicked. "It's not safe for you to go any further!"

Natarii stopped, but didn't look back. "I told you, I'm following my instincts. You saved my life. Now, it's time for me to save yours." She brought her hands up from her sides and weaved the hand sign:_ tiger._

"Wait! Don't!" Naruto called to her urgently. "You can't use Ninjutsu with that seal on you!" He dashed after Natarii, only to be thrown back by a force field of some sort that surrounded her. He skid along the top of the water, never going under for his chakra was controlled in the sense that he wouldn't be taken underwater.

Natarii paid no attention and kept weaving signs. _Ox, boar, serpent, monkey, serpent, tiger, rat, ox, rabbit, dragon..._

The Kyuubi's eyes seemed to widen. He recognized the order the hand signs were made. _She can't possibly…_

The seal on Natarii started to glow a deep red. Her teeth clenched tightly, for the burning sensation from the previous night was returning. She tried her best to ignore it as she continued to weave the signs. _Monkey, serpent, ox, rabbit, bird, boar, ram, bird, ram, tiger, dragon, serpent_. Natarii froze in position. Her feet were spread apart, her hands frozen in the _serpent_ seal, and her gaze sent of a message of immediate death as she breathed heavily from the pain. Her shoulder injury was getting to her as well, along with the several deep cuts and rock along her arms.

Naruto's eyes were wide as he stared at Natarii. He wasn't entirely sure what to think of what was happening. He would be lying if he said he wasn't frightened, but he was also filled with feelings of amazement and curiosity toward her - she was now walking slowly toward the gate of the Kyuubi. Quickly, he switched his gaze to the Kyuubi. It was not seeming to take the situation well. Slowly, it backed away from the gate, and jerked its nine tails around as if trying to hit Natarii or flick her away. Large, galloping waves came about in the shallow water, making it hard for Naruto to stand his ground. But, not a single drop of water penetrated Natarii's force field.

Somehow, it seemed to Naruto as if the Kyuubi had seen this jutsu Natarii was using before. But Natarii didn't know how to use Ninjutsu. Plus, the seal should be restraining her from using any sort of jutsu. Was this one an exception? No, the way Natarii was hunched over and breathing heavily, Naruto could tell she was trying to push past the burdens of the seal. But he thought Natarii didn't know about the seal. It was then he figured Jiraya must've told her about it. But, that wasn't important now.

Natarii broke the _serpent_ seal as chakra filled chains came bursting from her body. Blood splattered everywhere, staining her clothes and even tainting some of the water around her. The pain was so intense, she could no longer move. A small trail of blood came dripping from her lips, and her eyes rolled slowly toward the back of her head. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. She fell to her knees, and the blood flow from the chains was so great, one would be surprised she hadn't died from blood loss.

The chains flew toward the Kyuubi and wrapped themselves around its ankles and mid-section in attempt to restrain it. A separate chain wrapped itself around the paper seal that was pasted on the gate several stories high. The Kyuubi let out an angered growl that blasted loudly, echoing through the area.

_Thirty seconds. That's all you need. Thirty seconds._ Natarii heard the voice in the back of her mind, but it was barely audible. It was clam and soothing, and it reminded her of that of her mother's. As her vision began to fade, she saw her mother's smiling face. Her long brown hair and sparkling emerald eyes were nice to see after the long weeks that had passed. _I'm so proud of you._ Her mother's words rang through her mind as she blacked out.

An unusual sense of calamity came over the area. The water stilled, and Naruto was able to regain his balance. He looked around, his eyes locking on Natarii when they came across her. She lay on her side, un-moving, holding the chakra chains in their place. Blood stained her clothes and face.

"Natarii!" Naruto dashed over to Natarii as fast as he could, almost tripping at one point. He kneeled down next to her and propped her head up on his lap. The sight of her chest where the multiple chains were sticking out was quite grotesque, and the Ninjutsu seal glowed darker than it had any time before. It was almost a deathly shade of black.

Naruto looked up from Natarii to the Kyuubi. To his surprise, it was curled up, laying down inside the gate with the chains wrapped around it. The chains had a red-orange-ish glow to them around the Kyuubi. It then dawned upon Naruto that the chains were draining the Kyuubi's energy. It was becoming harder and harder for him to believe Natarii had no clue about this "secret weapon" of hers.

Naruto looked down at the torn and beat up girl as she clenched her fist and slowly opened her eyes. She made an attempt to sit up, but he stopped her with a desperate look in his deep blue eyes.

"Let me finish," Natarii started in a whisper, "what I started." She continued to try to sit up. This time, Naruto helped her.

"What's going to happen?" He asked, a worried look covered his face, and his voice clearly gave away the fact that he was afraid he'd lose Natarii. He was tired of losing people who were close to him, and deep down, he felt that losing Natarii would be a tragedy worse than that of Sasuke.

Natarii smirked. "I don't know." She planted a short, but sweet, kiss on Naruto's cheek. His face turned bright red, and he placed a finger on the spot Natarii had kissed him. Natarii wasn't a very affectionate person, so it shocked him.

"That's for if I don't come back," Natarii said sweetly. Her face was also red. Before Naruto had the chance to say anything, Natarii turned to the gate of the Kyuubi. She started forming seals again. _Tiger, monkey, serpent, ox._ She was nervous, for she didn't know what was going to happen. She could barely move in the first place, and the seal's pressure felt suffocating.

"Release!" She commanded. With that, the Kyuubi's eyes closed. And she collapsed. Naruto called her name, but his voice didn't reach her ears. Everything faded.

* * *

Jiraya ran through the woods with Shizune at his side. _Please let us make it in time,_ he thought. _We have to make it._

* * *

Natarii's head hit the ground as she fell forward, releasing her grip on the four-tailed Kyuubi. Her arms were completely scalded from the touch of the Kyuubi, and she had huge holes in her chest that continuously oozed blood. She could no longer feel the majority of the pain, for some of the nerves in her body had been severed.

There was a thud next to her, but Natarii couldn't make out who it was or why they collapsed. It was Naruto, and he had come out of the Kyuubi's form. His body was completely covered with severe wounds that brought cruel pains that felt like multiple swords plunging into his body at one time.

Deidara and Tobi stared down at the two un-moving souls.

"What just happened?" Tobi asked, looking at his senpai.

"Wow," Deidara remarked, ignoring Tobi. "I'll have to admit, that's impressive, un. She suppressed the powers of the Kyuubi. With a seal on her."

"Ooooooh!" Tobi exclaimed. He turned to the two teens on the ground below. "It looks like they're not going to last much longer."

"Isn't it obvious?" Deidara retorted. He reached into his pouch with clay. "I'll finish them off, un."

"Good idea, senpai! Then we can finally go home!"

Deidara smirked as he pulled out his newest creation - a large spider-like sculpture that was about the size of a softball made out of C-2 clay. "Get out of the way, Tobi," Deidara ordered. Tobi instantly fled. With a sinister smirk, Deidara tossed the bomb down on Natarii and Naruto, and leapt out of the way.

_BOOM!_

* * *

_As much as I hate to say it, that's it for this week. Next week, I will be back on my original schedule, posting on Saturday, January 12. _

_Next is: "Chapter 21!" Title is to be announced! Will Jiraya and Shizune make it on time? The battle comes to its close! _

_To be honest, I don't want it to end either, but there's still much more in store! 'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	21. Chapter 21: Return to Konoha

_Here is the re-written version of, "Chapter 21: Return to Konoha!" Sorry the original version wasn't as good as this one. I should have realized the many flaws it had. But, after losing all my edits because of wifi problems and re-typing them again, I have managed to fix it and make it much better than it was before! If you have already read it, please re-read it even though you already know what happens! Also, please tell me what you think. I love to hear what you have to say, even if it is criticism (but if it is, please be nice ^_^)! Enjoy! I hope things have been made clear!_

* * *

Chapter 21: Return to Konoha

Jiraya and Shizune saw the two blondes as they lay on the ground, passed out. They glanced at each other, then gave a nod, signaling the next move. They couldn't give away their presence, for that would start an entirely new battle. At this point, it was better not to. The current fight had to end as quickly as possible.

Deidara stood atop the tree branch, alone, with the clay bomb in hand. Jiraya and Shizune's movements were going to have to be quick. Deidara smirked sinisterly, tossed the bomb, and leaped backward out of the way. He continued to leap backward, branch after branch, to ensure he wouldn't get caught in his own work of art.

This was the moment. Immediately, Jiraya and Shizune dashed out from behind the trees and toward Natarii and Naruto. Everything seemed to move in slow motion around them. The bomb was coming down, but they still had time. Without stopping, Jiraya took Naruto and draped him over his shoulder, and Shizune cradled Natarii in her arms, making sure she didn't hurt any vital points on her already torn body. They didn't waste a second. They hadn't even stopped to breathe. It had only taken them a second to get to the two unconscious teens, and in another half of a second, they instantly escaped the area. However, The bomb made contact with the ground at the exact same moment.

_BOOM!_

It was hard for them to stand their ground. The effects from the explosion were strong. Debris went flying. Every tree around them was engulfed in flames. The heat was extreme. It instantaneously became more difficult to flee. Which path were they supposed to take? The trees? Where the branches continuously crunched and snapped, falling to the ground as the fire ate them and burned them to a crisp? The ground? Where the debris would fall and potentially crush them or block their path? It was a tough choice that was made only in a matter of seconds.

Jiraya and Shizune remained on foot as they continued to dash through the ablaze forest. They couldn't risk the flaming branches crumbling beneath their feet. They had to find a safe place for Natarii and Naruto to recuperate - at least enough to where they would have enough strength to return to the village. They were going to do what ever it took, whether it was getting hit by a few flaming branches, receiving several burns from the heat, taking a detour in the case that their path was blocked, or even inhaling too many toxic fumes from the smoke. Jiraya and Shizune continued to run. They didn't have too much further to go.

_CRASH!_

Multiple raging branches came smashing down to the ground. Jiraya and Shizune nearly ran into the newly created blockade. They were going to have to go around it. But there was a problem. Jiraya looked all around. They were completely surrounded by flaming debris. There was no way out or around. They were going to have to go above.

Shizune glanced over at Jiraya. He gave her a confident nod. It was going to be dangerous, especially with Natarii and Naruto. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. Jiraya and Shizune leaped up into the blazing trees. It was insanely hot. Hotter than either of them could have ever imagined. It was just as they had feared too. The branches were unstable. They made quick maneuvers, leaping to another tree as fast as possible to prevent themselves from plummeting to the hard ground. There was light in sight. Shizune could see it. "Just a little further!" She yelled through the crackling of the flames.

Jiraya gave another nod. "Let's go!" He yelled back to her. The two older nin leaped from the crumbling trees back to the ground. They dashed to the opening Shizune saw in the trees. The amount of flames decreased. Before they knew it, the forest looked clear, and the flames were gone. However, they continued on, for who knew when the flames would reach the part of the woods they were in now.

"Let's stop here," Shizune said after about ten extra minutes of running, once they were a far enough distance from the fire. She and Jiraya stopped in the middle of a small clearing. She lay Natarii down in the soft, green grass; Jiraya lay Naruto next to her.

"How exactly do you intend to give them both treatment at the same time?" Jiraya asked.

At that moment, a small, blue slug came crawling out of a big pocket on Shizune's pants. "Tsunade-Sama sent me along in case this situation was at hand," the slug said.

"Ah, Katsuyu-Sama," Jiraya remarked. "I figured as much."

Katsuyu gave a small nod. "Best not waste any time. I'll take Naruto-kun. He won't take nearly as long to heal with the Kyuubi's chakra." The slug slithered across the grass and onto Naruto. She concentrated her energy, and a green-ish colored glow came from her body. The healing process had begun.

Shizune took hold of Natarii's wrist, feeling for a pulse. There was a moment of nothingness, and all was silent. Then, she felt something and her eyes widened. She sighed with relief. "There's a pulse. But it's faint. We can't waste any time." She placed her hands above Natarii, parallel to the ground. The same glow that Katsuyu had come from Shizune's hands. Natarii's minor wounds instantly started closing up, and her massive injuries stopped bleeding.

Naruto was slowly regaining his normal appearance as his terrifying wounds healed, flinching and tensing his body, breathing heavily at the horrible pain it brought him. It was like the first time he had transformed into the Kyuubi to that extent, except for some reason, it seemed to be worse.

"Hang in there," Katsuyu told him, unaware of whether he actually heard her or not. Within the next few minutes, she had brought Naruto back to his original state; he sat up as Katsuyu crawled off him.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, scratching at the back of his head. "Where am I?" He looked around the clearing. Jiraya leaned against a tree in front of him and Shizune still huddled over Natarii, who remained unconscious as her major wounds that couldn't be healed completely were wrapped in a white, bandage-like material. "Ero Senin? Shizune-San? When did you guys get here?"

"Not too long ago," Shizune replied. "We came at just the right time. You two would be dead otherwise."

_Two? _Naruto repeated in his mind. "You mean..." His voice trailed off and he quickly stood up, rushing over to Shizune. He looked over her shoulder at the unconscious girl who lay in front of him. "You mean she's not dead?" He asked, eyes wide and filled with shock. He felt tears swell up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away with his forearm, hoping no one noticed them. He continued to look over Shizune's shoulder. "What happened to her?"

"I'm not sure myself," Shizune replied as she finished basic first-aid on Natarii's wounds.

Naruto turned to Jiraya, expecting an answer.

_It's just like that time_, Jiraya thought as he looked at Natarii's wounds. He didn't notice Naruto, for he was too lost in his thoughts.

Naruto didn't push the question any further, even though he was dying to know the reason behind Natarii's injuries. He sat back down and leaned against a tree, for he felt exhausted. He wasn't sure why. He didn't remember getting too heavily involved with Tobi, but everything after that was a blur. For some reason, Naruto felt as if something had happened inside him. He thought hard, trying to bring back the events that had happened. He stood in front of the Kyuubi's gate, yes. But there was something else. Something unusual. A presence.

Naruto's face lit up when he remembered. It was Natarii. Why was she there? More or less, _how_ did she get there? Images started to come back. The blood. The chains. The jutsu. The kiss on the cheek. Naruto blushed at the thought of it. "Sealing jutsu..." Naruto mumbled to himself, trying to get his mind on a different page. His head turned toward Natarii once more, making sure to look at the bloody spots on her clothes. The majority of them were on her chest, and he noticed her left shoulder still looked terrible. Her chest injuries...the chains. It made perfect sense. The damage that was done to Natarii during the re-sealing of the Kyuubi wasn't just his imagination. It was real.

"We'll head back to the village tomorrow," Shizune said, interrupting Naruto's thoughts. "She'll travel better with some rest." Her gaze switched from Natarii to Naruto. "You too."

Naruto nodded, unwilling to pick a fight for a change. He felt fine. He knew he could make it back to the village, but Natarii, on the other hand, could not. He was just going to have to sit tight and wait until the next morning.

* * *

Natarii slowly open her eyes, exhausted, wishing she could just fall back asleep. She had been sleeping so soundly until now. She looked around at the new atmosphere she found herself in. A room, a large room, with two beds that were separated by a white curtain. She lay in one of the beds. Someone sat in a chair next to her, but she couldn't make out who it was. It was a woman, and she had long, brown hair that went down to her waist, and bright, emerald green eyes. She wore a white fitted short-sleeve shirt that had little ruffles by the collar with a brown sweater over it. To match her sweater, she wore a brown skirt and brown flats. "Are you awake?" A gentle voice came from the woman. She smiled at Natarii, a pure sense of warmth coming from her.

Natarii rubbed her eyes, flinching at the pain her left shoulder brought her. She was still unsure about the identity of the woman sitting next to her. It then dawned upon her that she wasn't wearing her glasses. Natarii turned her head toward the nightstand that was next to her, and briefly caught a glance of her glasses sitting next to a vase of flowers. Using her right arm, she reached out to them and took them from their place. She then slid them onto her face. Her eyes widened. "Mom?"

The woman nodded, and Natarii's heart sank. As much as she loved her mom, she was the last person she wanted to see. The situation about her parents' past was still a little much for her to comprehend.

"How are you feeling?" Her mom asked her before she had the chance to say anything.

"It hurts," Natarii replied bluntly, clutching her left arm. Her chest hurt too, but Shizune's healing seemed to work more efficiently on her chest, so it didn't hurt as severely as her arm.

"How did you get such a severe injury?" Her mom continued.

Natarii debated whether she should tell the truth or not, despite the fact that she vowed to herself to always speak the truth. But, to be honest, she couldn't remember what had happened. "It was...um..." Natarii couldn't bring herself to say anything. "Aren't you mad at me?" She asked, abruptly changing the subject. She hoped her mom would follow it.

"In a normal situation, I suppose one could say I would be angry, but given the circumstances of this one, I am far more concerned than mad," Natarii's mom replied, the sparkle in her eyes told Natarii that she wasn't lying. "If anyone is to be angry, I would think it would be you."

Natarii's eyes widened. Her mom was right, for she really was somewhat mad. But how did she know? Could she tell? Natarii was usually pretty good at hiding her emotions.

Natarii's mom noticed her daughter's slight confusion. "I'm sorry I never told you anything. I just wanted to keep it all in the dark."

"What're you talking about?" Natarii asked, giving her mother a rather strange look.

"Everything Jiraya told you is true."

* * *

_That's it for today's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, January 19! _

_Next is: "Chapter 22: Natarii's Ninja Past!" Natarii learns of her parents' role in Konoha! What exactly happened to make them leave the ninja world?_

_'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	22. Chapter 22: Natarii's Ninja Past

_Hey! Just a quick disclaimer. Some of the text in this chapter was taken word for word from Naruto Shippuden Episode 246. I obviously do not own that content. That credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto! Also, there are some things that may not seem accurate, especially for those of you who are caught up with the manga and/or anime. Please keep in mind that this mainly revolves around Natarii's mind, so she doesn't know some of the things that have recently been discovered! Now...enjoy the next chapter! XD_

* * *

Chapter 22: Natarii's Ninja Past

Natarii looked down at her hands, which lay in her lap. She twirled her thumbs. It was as she feared. Her parents had been lying to her throughout her entire life. The quiet, laid-back lifestyle of theirs was a fake. "Why didn't you tell me?" Natarii asked quietly. Before her mother could reply, she quickly switched her gaze from her hands to her mom and continued. "Did Onii-chan know?"

Natarii's mom flinched at the mention of her late son. She hesitated, but reluctantly nodded. "He was about to enter the Academy. I'll never forget how disappointed he was. He would've only been a few years behind Kakashi-Sensei."

"Really?" She thought for a moment, then realized her mom was right. If her brother was still alive, he would be twenty-four years old. Kakashi was twenty-nine. "I guess you're right," Natarii said. "But that's a little more than a few."

"All about the specifics," Natarii's mom smiled.

There was a brief moment of silence, then Natarii spoke out of curiosity. "Why did you decide to give up being ninja? The way the perverted sage talked about you and Dad made it seem like our clan was really talented."

"We were. We all were. It was after the Kyuubi attack from sixteen years ago we decided to leave."

"The Kyuubi attack?" Natarii repeated. She tried to gather the multitude of thoughts that ran through her mind. Everything seemed to happen that night. Naruto's parents died, the Fourth Hokage died, _and _her entire family decided to give up being ninja. There seemed to be some sort of pattern, but Natarii couldn't put her finger on it. She needed more details. "Could you possibly...tell me about it?"

Natarii's mom thought for a moment. She sighed. "I suppose now wouldn't be a bad time to explain." She finished her statement with a smile. "You're probably pretty bored anyway."

* * *

A small, thin, girl with short, light brown hair that curved inward toward her chin and was pulled back out if her face by way of a purple headband walked shyly through the doors of the large classroom. She wore a vibrant purple top with traditional patterns on it and dark gray, charcoal-ish colored, leggings that cut off just above her sandals.

The room was filled with desks that sat in rows, each further row slightly higher up than the one before it. In the front was an elevated platform for the teacher to stand, and a wide and dusty chalkboard hung on the wall.

The girl watched the kids who had already shown up, most of them boys. They noisily chattered about how excited they were, and threw fake punches at each other, hoping to become the greatest ninja the village had ever seen. There were a few select girls that had come early; they sat calmly by themselves, glancing at the boys with such a look, one could tell they were annoyed.

"Makina-chan!" An excited, rather high-pitched voice called.

The girl looked up from her small daze, only to see another girl with long, black hair that was tied back in a ponytail by way of a large, dark blue ribbon. She wore a bright blue battle dress that went down to her knees. She waved her hands wildly, motioning for the girl to come toward her.

The girl smiled and waved in return. It was her friend, Nara Shizuyo. Excited, the girl dashed up the steps that were in-between the rows of desks. However, before she knew it, she was knocked down by one of the boys.

"Sorry!" He called back to her with a mischievous smile. He kept running down the steps and out the door. It happened so fast, the girl was unable to identify him.

She stood back up and finished going up the steps to her friend, Shizuyo. "Hi, Shiyo-chan!" She greeted as she sat down next to her friend.

Shizuyo giggled. "Are you okay, Makina-chan?"

Makina nodded. "Who was that boy anyway? I couldn't tell who he was when he bumped into me."

Shizuyo's eyes widened. "You didn't know? It was Takanami! Takanami Kazuki!"

"Takanami...Kazuki?" Makina repeated. She didn't recall the name. "Who's that?"

Shizuyo slapped her face against her palm. "The next member of the Takanami Clan, who else?!"

"Isn't that the family that has the really powerful _Fuuinjutsu_?"

Shizuyo nodded with excitement. "He's the first person from that clan I've seen in person! I've heard rumors that the members of the clan don't come out very often."

"Really?" Makina thought for a moment and looked toward the doorway as the swarm of boys came dashing back into the room.

* * *

"I'm Uzumaki Kushina, ya know!"

Makina stared strangely at the new student who had just entered the room. The multitude of voices around her laughed at the girl. It made sense. It was quite odd for some newcomer from the Uzumaki Clan from the Land of Whirlpool to suddenly come to Konoha. Her long, bright red hair was quite unusual as well. It made her stick out like a sore thumb.

The bursts of continuous snickers coming from the other students created a sense of pity inside Makina. She knew that if she was the one standing in the front of the room introducing herself, she wouldn't want people to laugh at her the way they did to Kushina.

"I'm...I'm going to become the village's first female Hokage!" Kushina exclaimed. Now she was proclaiming herself to be Hokage? The students found her to be even more unusual.

One of the boys in the room stood up from his seat. He had rather long, spikey blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "I want to become a great Hokage that will be admired by everyone in the village too," he said with a smile. Makina recognized the boy. If she wasn't mistaken, his name was Minato, Namikaze Minato.

* * *

"Where're you going?" a pre-teen Makina asked the blonde in front of her. She could tell he was panicked, but he was insanely good at keeping calm.

Minato looked back at Makina over his shoulder. "Kushina's been kidnapped," he said plainly.

Makina's eyes widened. Throughout the past years, she and Kushina had become rather close friends, despite everything the boys thought about her. "By who?!"

Minato turned back around. "That's what I want to find out." With that, he leapt away.

Makina desperately wanted to go after him, but she remained still, knowing Minato most likely did not want her to follow.

* * *

"By this time, I had become very close friends with Minato and Kushina, along with your father as well," Natarii's mom said as she continued with the story.

"Mind if I stop you for a minute?" Natarii asked, adjusting her glasses.

"What is it?"

"Did I hear you right?" Natarii asked. "It sounded like your friend Kushina had the same last name as Naruto."

Natarii's mom smiled. "I thought you'd pick up on that. Kushina was actually Naruto's mother."

Natarii's eyes widened. "You knew his parents?"

"Yes," Natarii's mom replied with a nod. She moved a single finger up to her lips, giving Natarii the message that she needed to keep quiet about it.

"Why can't I tell him? I'm sure he'd like to know! That's unfair if you know practically everything about them and you don't put it to a good use! That's-"

Natarii's mom hushed her daughter and spoke. "Let me explain. You will understand when you hear the whole story."

Natarii huffed a breath of frustration and sat back against the large, cushy pillows behind her. She grasped her left shoulder, for a bit of pain was starting to come back, and continued to listen.

* * *

"What's going on? Why is everyone in such a hurry?" A small boy looked up at Makina with wide, sparkling, emerald eyes that were identical to hers.

Makina finished putting her waist-length brown hair up in a ponytail and bent over to the child. "You have to get out of here, Keizu. Do you understand?" She asked him, stroking his soft, light brown hair that almost looked like a shade of dirty blonde.

Keizu nodded, then flinched at the amount of screaming and terror that he continuously heard outside. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Take the tunnel. Then, find the Genin. They'll know that to do." Makina kissed the child's forehead and headed toward the front door. "Your father and I will come back. I promise!" With that she left the household and Keizu disappeared into a small hatch that was in the floor in the corner of the room.

Makina dashed out into the midst of the street, astonished by the amount of destruction that had already been caused. The majority of the families had been evacuated, and there was a select few that were still running in the direction of safety. Scattered in the middle of the dark streets were puddles of blood and pieces of debris that were set aflame. It had only been ten or twenty minutes, and the destruction was already so severe. She looked around quickly, and her eyes caught a group of fellow ninja who were charging toward the direction of the attacker, the Kyuubi. Leading the group she saw Kazuki, her husband and the boy who had bumped into her mistakenly on her first day at the Academy. Not wanting to waste any time, she dashed toward the pack, and ran side by side with Kazuki.

Kazuki's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Makina, but he had assumed she would show at some point. "Where's Keizu?!" He asked her.

"I told him to go to a safe place. He'll be fine," Makina responded calmly.

Kazuki nodded as he continued to lead the group of ninja. The atmosphere around them seemed like Hell itself. Buildings had turned into burning piles of rubble and debris. The sky was dark.

As the ninja came closer to the forest clearing where the Fourth Hokage had lured the Kyuubi, they caught a brief glance of it, and felt signs of its intense chakra. Fear overwhelmed them, but they knew they were going to have to back up Kazuki, for he was going to perform his most advanced sealing jutsu. If he did that, no one else would have to get hurt.

Kazuki halted everyone at the edge of the clearing. His eyes were wide with a sense of disturbance. Makina, next to him, had the same look on her face.

They were too late.

Minato and Kushina stood with the claw of the Kyuubi stabbing them. It went into Minato's back, and came out below Kushina's chest. Their clothes and faces were stained with blood, and they were undoubtedly weak.

Kushina spoke to a small baby boy, which was in front of her, and when she finished, Minato formed a few hand signs: _Snake, boar, ram, rabbit, dog, rat, bird horse snake._ Then, he clapped his hands together. They were the signs for _Shiki Fujin _(Sealing Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal).

Kazuki took a few quick steps forward, only to be stopped by Makina. "Don't go!" She exclaimed with a desperate look in her eyes. "It's too late!"

"I can't let him use that jutsu!" Kazuki shot back. "It's practically suicide!" He tried to escape Makina's grip, but failed. The pain Makina saw in his eyes was intense. In the Academy, Kazuki and Minato were the boys who were at the top of the class. Kazuki had always admired Minato's character, despite the fact they were the same age. He still looked up to him. Watching Minato take such extreme measures was definitely inspiring to Kazuki, but watching him die right before his eyes was difficult and painful. He was furious and torn as the final movements commenced, and Minato, along with Kushina, were gone.

* * *

_That's it for today's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, January 26._

_Next is: "Chapter 23: Back to a Normal Life!" Or is it? Naruto comes to his senses and Natarii discovers the unimaginable!_

_'Til next time!  
_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	23. Chapter 23: Back to a Normal Life

Chapter 23: Back to a Normal Life

Natarii saw the pain in her mother's eyes as she finished. She thought for a moment, wondering whether she should continue asking questions or not. It had never crossed her mind that her parents had gone through something so tragic before she was born.

Natarii's mom looked into her daughter's eyes, trying to hide her sorrow. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

That was Natarii's cue. "Um...I'm just wondering why you decided to retire after witnessing the death of your closest friends. Isn't that something you're supposed to overcome?"

Natarii's mom nodded. "It is. But, I suppose keeping it in perspective wouldn't hurt. If Kazuki had gotten there in time, Minato wouldn't have had to use _Shiki Fujin_. In some sense, he felt responsible for their deaths. I must say, after that night, he was never the same way he was before. It's painful for me to watch, even now."

"So, this is all about Dad?"

Makina shook her head. "No, there are other reasons. Part of it is our knowledge of Minato and Kushina. If Naruto were to find out about them...I don't entirely know what would happen, but we were given strict orders to not tell him if we ever crossed paths. Your dad and I plan to keep those orders."

Natarii nodded. At the same time, she tried to comprehend the things her mom was telling her.

"I could tell it was going to be hard enough on Naruto in the future," Makina continued. "If your dad and I left Konoha, it would make things that much easier on him."

"I think I'm starting to get it," Natarii said.

"However, our efforts were somewhat wasted when you brought Naruto home with you the day you met him," Makina finished. She quickly added, "But that's not a bad thing! I was so happy you finally found a friend."

"You recognized him?" Natarii asked.

"Well, not exactly. I had never seen him before. But, to be honest, he looks just like his mom, and his hair resembles his dad." Natarii's mom smiled.

"Is that so?"

Makina nodded. "Speaking of which, you never told me how you got your injury."

_Darn it!_ Natarii exclaimed in her mind. She had hoped her mom had forgotten about her severe shoulder injury. "It was um...an explosion."

"Really now?" Makina asked with a suspicious look on her face. "Is that true?"

Natarii hesitated. She was such a bad liar. "Um..."

"The stains on your clothes showed large amounts of bloodshed."

Natarii looked down at herself, forgetting she was in a hospital gown and not her regular clothes. "Shoot," she remarked.

"You wanna tell me how you got hurt now?"

Natarii hesitated once more. "To be honest, I can't exactly remember what happened," she finally said. "I remember it being unbearably painful. I was in a dark place before a foul beast, trying to protect the one they'll be after once they retrieve me."

"Speak clear Japanese, Natarii," Makina said with a huff. She was growing irritated as Natarii continuously avoided the question.

"I'm telling you, I don't entirely know what happened! Everything that occurred is now a blur!" Natarii abruptly turned her head toward the sliding doorway when she heard the door.

"Cool, you're not dead!" Naruto said as he entered the room. His face was patched up with multiple band-aids and his major wounds were wrapped with gauze and medical tape. He noticed Makina in the room. "Oh, hi, Natarii's mom," He said with a small blush. "When did you get here?"

"Hi, Naruto," Makina answered with a kind smile. "I got here earlier this morning. By the way, I have a question for you."

"Huh? What is it?"

"By any chance, do you know what happened to Natarii?"

"Mom! That's playing dirty!" Natarii shouted.

Naruto chuckled. "Well, I wasn't really around when she got hurt," he said. "Oh! But there was this one thing! With the chains! And the seal!"

Makina's eyes widened at the moment Naruto mentioned the seal.

"It scared the crap out of me, but it was really cool!" Naruto continued. He pointed to Natarii. "Don't do it again! Whatever it was. You almost died!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Natarii said, completely clueless.

"You don't remember?" Naruto asked.

Natarii shook her head. "Nope. Is there something I should remember?"

Naruto blushed and touched his cheek with his fingertips. "N-no, not really." His heart sank.

"Hold up, hold up," Makina interrupted, waving her hands back and forth, signaling for the two to stop. Natarii and Naruto looked at her anxiously, waiting for what she had to say. Makina looked at Natarii. "You used Ninjutsu even though you have the seal?"

"I-I guess," Natarii stuttered. "I already told you, I don't remember what happened."

Makina turned to Naruto. The look on her face said, "Do _you_ know what happened?"

Naruto remained silent for a moment, for he had to think about how he would say things. He simply bowed and replied, "I'm responsible for Natarii getting hurt. I was careless. I'm sorry."

Natarii's eyes widened, surprised with how Naruto had answered. It wasn't very often she had a glimpse of this serious, mature side of him.

Naruto stood up straight, and continued. "I let my feelings get the best of me. It won't happen again. She wouldn't've had to do it if I kept myself in line."

"So, in other words, she used Ninjutsu?" Makina asked. She was also quite impressed with Naruto's response.

Naruto nodded.

"How is that possible?" Makina asked, switching her gaze back to Natarii.

"I don't know. I didn't even know I had a seal on me until a couple nights ago," Natarii replied somewhat sarcastically. She still couldn't recall the events.

"She told me she was relying on instinct," Naruto said. "Maybe that's why she can't remember anything."

"Instinct?" Makina repeated. She thought for a moment, then gasped. "_Bijuu no Fuinjutsu Phase One. _You mentioned chains, right?"

Naruto nodded. "How do you know about sealing jutsu?" His eyes widened as a new thought came to mind. "If you know about sealing jutsu, then you know about the Kyuubi, don't you?"

Makina nodded. "I have my sources."

Natarii's eyes widened with intense fear as she clutched fistfuls of hair and let out a blood-curdling scream.

Naruto and Makina jumped, startled by Natarii's outburst.

"K-K-Kyuubi..." The pain in Natarii's left shoulder brought a sharp pain that left her holding into it tightly, trying to hold back tears.

It was then something dawned upon Naruto. Natarii had been hiding something from him, and he now knew what it was. He was the one who injured her shoulder.

He stood there, frozen, not sure what to think. Makina tried to calm Natarii down as Naruto fell backward. Luckily, he landed in a chair that was conveniently placed behind him.

Makina looked back at Naruto. "Are you okay? What's gotten into you two?"

Naruto remained silent.

Natarii relaxed, for the pain in her arm was gone. "What's...What's _Bijuu no Fuinjutsu Phase One_?" She asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"It's one of the jutsu my 'friend' Kazuki used," Makina strategically said, considering Naruto didn't know the name of Natarii's dad. "It has three phases, each one more dangerous than the one before it."

Natarii nodded in understanding.

"How you used it with the _Keimusho Seal_," Makina continued, "I'm not sure."

Natarii shrugged.

"She pushed herself beyond her limits," Naruto joined in. He continued to stare at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with Natarii after realizing he was completely responsible for her injuries, especially since he had vowed to not let anything happen to her. But then, he realized something else. If Natarii didn't have the _Keimusho Seal_, would the same thing have happened? Even though his relying on the Kyuubi was a catalyst to Natarii almost dying, the reason she almost died was because she had to use such a strong jutsu with a dangerous seal on her. Thus, it was partially the seal's fault she almost died.

Makina and Natarii looked at Naruto with curiosity now that he had spoken. They wanted to know what else he had to say.

"Everything has its limits," Naruto continued. "Even seals." He knew that from experience. "How do you take it off her?" There was a sense of seriousness in his tone. "I swear, when I find out who did it..." His voice trailed off.

Makina swallowed nervously, hoping she could come up with an excuse in fast enough time that could hide everything from Naruto. It came to her. "It's possible I could ask my friend, Shizuyo. She studied sealing jutsu for a long time including the ones inherited by some of the most advanced sealing jutsu users. I'll make sure to ask her and let you know."

Naruto looked up from the floor. "You can do that?"

Makina nodded with a smile. "Of course I can."

Naruto sighed with relief. "That's good." He stood up and walked toward the door. "I'll be back later. There's something I needa go do." With that, he left the room.

Natarii turned to her mother with a smile. "I'll get to meet your childhood friend?"

Makina slowly shook her head. "No. That was a cover-up. Naruto isn't allowed to know about your dad and I. You see, Shizuyo's dead."

Natarii's eyes widened with shock.

"She died in the Kyuubi attack sixteen years ago."

"Then, how do you intend to get this seal off me?!"

"I don't know that I intend to at all," Makina replied.

"What?! The Akatsuki are trying to _KILL_ me! You gotta take the darn thing off!"

Makina shook her head. "I had your father put that seal on you because I didn't want you to get involved. I didn't want you to get wrapped up in the world we left."

Natarii scowled. "Fine then."

"Do you understand?" Makina asked.

Natarii nodded. "Oh, I understand. I'll just have to take this seal off myself."

* * *

That's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, February 2!

Next is: "Chapter 24: Sneaking Out!" Natarii is determined to find a way to remove the seal! Will she be able to accomplish it going behind her parents' backs?

'Til next time!

-ChibiNinja45


	24. Chapter 24: Sneaking Out

Chapter 24: Sneaking Out

"Do you understand?" Makina asked.

Natarii nodded. "Oh, I understand. I'll just have to take this seal off myself."

"I can't allow you to do that!" Makina exclaimed, slamming the palm of her hand against her knee. "It's dangerous!"

"The probability of it not being more dangerous than the Akatsuki is nearly two to one. Whether you like it or not, once I get outta here, I'm going to do it."

"Once you get outta here, you're going back to school," Makina corrected.

Natarii thought for a moment. Given the circumstances that she would have many opportunities to secretly research while at school, she reluctantly agreed. Now, the only problem was to keep up with her training. To Natarii's disappointment, it seemed as if that was going to have to be on hold for a while.

Makina stood up from her seat as she let out a sigh. "I'll be back. I need to see when you'll be able to leave."

Natarii nodded with a smile. "You go do that." She had something else in mind. Once her mother left, and was clearly out of sight, she removed the covers and made an attempt to stand. Her legs wobbled, and her sprained ankle brought a sharp pain that was sent all the way up her leg. Ignoring it, Natarii put all of her weight on her left foot. It was time to test her strength. Natarii brought her right arm up to her ear - no problem. She tried her left arm next. It didn't go nearly as well. Her arm wouldn't move upward any further than parallel to the floor before the pain from the Kyuubi injury started to intensify. Natarii wasn't too happy with those results. Nervous about the pain her ankle would bring her, Natarii jogged in place. She had to limp, but it didn't hurt as badly as she thought it would. She jumped. That made her teeth cringe and her muscles tense. Jumping was a thing that was to be avoided. Natarii limped toward the window to see how high she was from the ground. The third floor. _They were smart…putting me in a high place_, Natarii thought. _But not smart enough._

* * *

The sky had grown dark, and everyone left Natarii's room. She was alone in the darkness of the night. However, the officials were smarter than she previously thought. They placed several guards throughout the hallways and by her room. Why were they so determined to keep her contained? Oh, that's right. There was a gang of S-Rank criminals trying to kill her.

Natarii stood up from her bed, put a hoodie and jeans on over the hospital gown, and started searching the room. In a closet, she found a dark colored curtain; she couldn't tell what color it was due to the darkness of the room. As she dug through drawers, she found a pair of scissors, safety pins, and paper clips. It was less than she hoped to find, but Natarii was willing to work with what she had. She wrapped the curtain around her body after cutting it with scissors, then pinned the safety pins onto it to make it stay on as if it were a cloak. With its dark colors, it would blend in with the night.

Natarii made her way over to the window, then perched herself on the windowsill like a bird as she opened it. The cool breeze on the summer night brought a brief chill to Natarii's spine as she carefully climbed out the window, a hood covering her head. Above her, there were guards. Below her, there were guards. But there had to be a blind spot somewhere. Natarii quietly closed the window, making sure it was still unlocked so she could get back inside. She had ten minutes, and that was all she had. Not a second more.

Natarii crept along the roof, crawling on her hands and knees, keeping close to the windows so she would be out of the guards' line of sight. As she neared the back-side of the building, security still had yet to become clear. However, there was a large, sturdy tree next to the edge of the hospital. If she could get from the roof to the tree, her escape would be easy. If she was caught, her efforts would be wasted.

Natarii closed in on the nearest branch. She placed one bare foot on it, her good foot, then the other as she clumsily maneuvered to continue crawling on her hands and knees. It was strange, for the tree barely made a sound as she moved. Everything was working in her favor. She continued to crawl toward the center of the tree, making sure her cloak wouldn't snag on any branches. Once she met the center, Natarii began climbing down. Luckily, no one seemed to be around. Natarii dropped down from the branch that was closest to the ground. She flinched at her sprain, but there was no time to worry about its condition. She began sprinting. She had eight minutes left.

The streets were completely clear in the darkness of the night, and the majority of the small shops and markets had closed, with the exception of a few twenty-four, or late-hour places. Street lamps dimly lit Natarii's path.

She continued to run through the night. Seven and a half minutes remaining. She dashed up a few sets of stairs, hoping she wouldn't wake anyone up if they were sleeping. At the top of the stairs, she reached her destination - Naruto's place. She knocked loudly on the door, in attempt to wake him up. "Naruto!" She whispered his name sharply.

Nothing.

Natarii repeated her actions, once again banging loudly on the door. Still no reply. Natarii rolled her eyes and tried to turn the doorknob. It was unlocked. _Ugh, he's so careless_, she thought to herself as she walked in. The room was dark, so Natarii began skimming the walls, until her fingers caught a light switch. Natarii flipped the light on and walked over toward Naruto, who was sleeping. He was wearing a white shirt and blue athletic shorts. Half of his body was under the covers - one of his legs hanging off the bed. His breathing was loud and obnoxious.

Natarii simply stared at him. "Get up."

No reply.

"Why do you have to be such a hard sleeper?" Natarii mumbled to herself. "Get up!"

Naruto rolled over to the other side, facing the wall. Still no reply. He was out.

"So, you wanna play this game?" Natarii asked. After waiting several moments for Naruto to say something, she assumed it was going to take a lot more to get him to wake up. "Oh, it is on!" She exclaimed as she walked quickly toward the small kitchen. She dug through cabinets, which were mostly empty. "How the heck does he live if he doesn't even have anything?" She mumbled to herself. She continued to dig around. Eventually, she found a wooden spoon and a pan. Just what she was looking for. Natarii stood up and walked back over to Naruto, slamming the spoon as loudly and obnoxiously against the pan as she could. "WAKE UP, IDIOT!"

Naruto slammed a pillow over his head, still asleep.

Natarii sighed with frustration. "You leave me no choice!" She stepped onto the bed and started jumping. "Get up! Get up! Six minutes and forty-six seconds remaining! You're wasting my time!"

Still, no reaction from Naruto.

Natarii kneeled next to Naruto on the bed and started pushing him toward the edge. It took three hard pushes, and then...

_THUD! _

Naruto had made impact with the hard floor. Yet, he was still fast asleep.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Natarii shouted with frustration. She looked around the room. Her eyes were caught by an empty vase. It was then a genius idea popped into her head. Natarii quickly stood up and ran to the vase, then took it from its spot on a small table to the kitchen. She filled it with cold water and ice. With a sinister smile, Natarii returned to Naruto's side, filled vase in hand. "Are you going to wake up, or not?" She asked one last time.

No reply.

"You asked for it." Natarii dumped the vase of freezing water on Naruto.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Naruto jolted awake, not even knowing what hit him. The coldness from the water sent shivers up and down his spine, and he was soaked.

Natarii slapped him upside the head. "WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!"

"HEY!" Naruto looked around, then up at Natarii, who was still wearing her curtain. Naruto's eyes widened. "Who the heck are you?!"

Natarii slapped her face against her palm and removed her hood. "You are impossible," she stated. "At least you're awake."

Naruto stared at Natarii strangely. "How'd you get in here?"

"You left the door unlocked, smart one."

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?"

"Yes. Yes, I am." Natarii looked around for a clock. "Shoot. Four minutes and twenty-three seconds remaining. Hurry and come with me. No time to explain."

Naruto figured it was pointless to argue, so he did as Natarii said. He stood up, put his jacket on, and followed Natarii out the door, forgetting to turn off the lights.

Natarii threw her hood over her head, dashing back in the direction of the hospital. Naruto followed half-heartedly, for he still felt half asleep. However, he was awake enough to notice Natarii's limp. She was breathing heavily, giving the hint that she was in pain. Yet, she continued to run as if she was having no trouble. Just what was she so desperate to do?

_One minute and thirty seconds exactly_, Natarii thought to herself. "We're almost out of time!" She reached for the nearest branch on the tree she had climbed down seven minutes earlier, but her sprained ankle wouldn't let her climb. She raised her foot off the ground, but the pain continuously stabbed her will to move.

Naruto sighed and walked up to Natarii from behind. He picked her up off the ground, cradling her in his arms.

"What the heck are you doing?!" Natarii fussed in a sharp whisper, trying to get out of his grasp. "Put me down! This isn't funny!"

"Of course it's not funny; you can barely walk!" Naruto snapped as he leaped into the tree.

"Admit it. You'd be the exact same way," Natarii protested. "Now put me down! They're going to hear you!"

"Me? I'm not the one they're gonna hear if you keep raising your voice like that." He then leaped from the tree to the roof of the hospital. It was then he sat Natarii down.

Natarii huffed a breath of relief. "Forty-seven seconds." She began swiftly crawling toward the window to her room, Naruto behind her. She counted the windows and looked at the formation of the shingles on the roof. "Twenty seconds," Natarii whispered as she slid the proper window open. She climbed into the hospital room, and once Naruto was in with her, Natarii closed the window and locked it. She then stumbled over to the bed in which she had slept. "I need you to-" Natarii was cut off. She jolted her head to the doorway. Someone was coming. Someone was coming fast. The door slowly slid open.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, February 9!_

_Next is: "Chapter 25: To the Library!" Natarii reveals her plan to Naruto! But will she get caught?_

_All right. Well, this is somewhat unrelated, but I have been thinking about attempting a manga for this story. I have never made a manga before that I have been able to continue. However! I have grown extremely attached to the story line and I think it may be possible for me to do it. This is not an official announcement that I am for sure going to make one. I'm just thinking about it. There are a ton of characters I would need to learn how to draw and such. How you would view it? I am a bit unsure of those details to. I just thought I'd throw that out there. What do you guys think? Is that something you'd like to see?_

_'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	25. Chapter 25: To the Library

_AH! So sorry! I uploaded the new chapter this morning, and I guess I pushed a wrong button or something because I just now noticed the new chapter wasn't there (even though I received the email stating that the upload was successful). Must've been a glitch! Again, I'm sorry! Here's the new chapter! _

* * *

Chapter 25: To the Library

Natarii closed the window and locked it. She then walked over to the bed in which she had slept. "I need you to-" Natarii was cut off. She jolted her head to the doorway. Someone was coming. Someone was coming fast. The door slowly slid open.

Makina quietly entered the room, only to see Natarii in bed, fast asleep. Nothing seemed out of place. She smiled gently. "Maybe I was wrong," she whispered as she pulled a foldable chair up to Natarii's bedside. "I should've known you wouldn't go anywhere."

_Sometimes I wonder how I became so smart_, Natarii thought to herself as she stared blankly at the white curtain that separated her side of the room and the empty half next to her. _If it were me, I would've completely seen through this little charade_. She wanted to look over her shoulder to see if her mom was planning to leave the room anytime soon, but knew that would instantly blow her cover. _I hope Naruto's not dying in the closet,_ Natarii continued to think to herself.

_Someone get me out of here!_ Naruto sat in the nearest closet, crammed against various pieces of old, dusty equipment and fabrics.

Natarii glanced up at the nearest clock, which was on a wooden nightstand next to her bed. She tried to not rustle the sheets as she moved her head slightly to get a better view of the time. _One thirty. There still might be time before morning._ She cautiously moved her head back. The room was quiet, but only for a short moment. There was a subtle clinking sound. _Maybe she's leaving_, Natarii thought. But the sound continued. _Nope. She's not leaving_. Her heart started pounding.

Naruto peeked through a small hole in the closet door. _What the crap?! She's knitting?! Leave already!_ He slapped his palm against his face. He still didn't know what Natarii was planning.

It felt as if hours passed. Natarii was growing tired as she continued to stare endlessly at the curtain listening to the clicking of her mother's knitting needles_. I cannot believe this woman used to be a ninja_, she thought to herself. _She seems way too soft._

Suddenly, the clicking of the needles came to a halt, and all was silent. Natarii was itching to see what her mother was doing. There was a swish. Then a click. She had left the room. But when would she come back? Most likely in the morning, plus, she had Naruto with her. He was the key to her plan.

Slowly, Natarii sat up, rustling the sheets as she did so. She looked around the room, making sure there was no trace of any person who may possibly be watching her. The coast was clear. Natarii turned her head toward the closet and whispered for Naruto to come out of the closet.

"It's about time," he muttered as he stumbled out of the small alcove, trying not to trip over anything. "I've been waiting for you to explain why I'm here."

"Oh, right. I didn't get the chance to tell you. I need an accomplice."

"Accomplice?" Naruto repeated. He instantly seemed interested. "What're you planning this time?"

"I need you to use _Henge no Jutsu_ to transform into me," Natarii answered.

Naruto looked at Natarii strangely. "What? Why?"

"I need to go to the library." Natarii wanted information about the _Keimusho Seal_. She assumed top secret information wouldn't be in the library, but the archives. However, she figured going to the library would be a good start, plus a good cover for Naruto, who wasn't supposed to know anything about her attempts to get the seal off on her own in the first place.

"What? No way," Naruto denied. "You dragged me out here just so you can go to the library? This isn't a time for checking out books."

Natarii was a little shocked. She assumed Naruto would've helped her without question. Then again, her request did seem quite troublesome. "I'm not going to check out any book. I'm looking for some information. Can't you just trust me?"

"When it comes to books, I'm not sure how much I can trust you. You get way too distracted around them."

Natarii pleaded Naruto with wide eyes. "Come on. Just transform into me and I'll be back by the time my mom comes back. You can even sleep if you want."

Naruto thought for a moment, liking the idea of being able to go back to sleep. But, he still shook his head in denial. "No good. I saw how hard of a time you had coming back with that bad ankle of yours. I can't let you go out like that."

"Well, would you rather me go out at night when everyone's asleep, or go out in broad daylight where my escape will be bright and clear?" Natarii came up with a clever idea as to what she would say next. "If you transform into me at night, you can just sleep. If you transform into me during the day, well...you may get tested."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Tested?"

Natarii nodded. "Yes. They've been doing quite a few tests on me. Maybe tomorrow they'll do more, and I won't even be here. You will."

Naruto huffed a breath of brief frustration. Natarii always knew how to persuade him in order to get her way. "Fine. You win."

"Really?" Natarii asked. "That's great!" She quickly rushed back and forth, limping, throughout the room, looking for her cloak made out of curtains. She found it where she had left it, bunched up in the closet where Naruto had been hiding. Natarii draped it over her shoulders once again and made her way toward a cabinet. While she was searching for a type of material for her cloak, she found medical wrapping tape inside. She questioned herself, wondering why she hadn't put the tape on earlier. After taking it carefully out of the cabinet, Natarii sat on the bed and began wrapping the tape tightly around her right ankle. The tape was stiff and strong. It would hold her ankle in place nicely.

Natarii stepped on her right foot, not even feeling a bit of pain. She hopped, then skipped over to her shoes. Her foot brought no pain. That was a relief.

Natarii looked back at Naruto, her head already buried in the depths of her hood. "I'll be back by six o'clock," she said to him.

Naruto gave a nod, hoping Natarii wouldn't be a second late. However, whenever she was given a designated time, she was never a second early, and never a second late. Her arrival was always on the dot. Without any hint of hesitation, Naruto made the signs: _dog, boar,_ _tiger_. There was a puff of smoke that acted as a barrier to shield Naruto. Once it cleared, where Naruto originally stood, Natarii stood.

Natarii looked at her "clone" with satisfaction. She smiled back at Naruto. "Don't blow it," she said jokingly. She opened the window, and climbed out. Natarii looked left, then right, and then left again. She gave Naruto a thumbs-up sign, signaling the coast was clear. With that, she was gone.

Naruto sighed in Natarii's form. He walked over to the bed and sat on it, taking a blackish-blue pair of glasses off his face and setting them on the nightstand next to the bed. _That's how Natarii would do it, right?_ Naruto thought to himself, not wanting to blow Natarii's cover.

He lay his head down on the pillow, Natarii's hair covering his face. Naruto quickly moved the hair out of the way, only for it to pile up uncomfortably under his head. _Man, how do girls sleep like this?!_

* * *

Natarii dashed down the empty streets as fast as she could without wasting her energy. She was surprised at how less her ankle hurt with the taping around it.

The library was in sight, lights on and everything. It was a little strange to Natarii that a library would be open every hour of the day, but when she thought about it, especially in the middle of a village filled with ninja, it seemed reasonable enough.

As Natarii walked in through the doors, a quick blast of warm air hit her skin. It wasn't cold outside, but the darkness of the night had made the temperatures considerably cooler than that of the day. Thus, the air felt rather nice.

There wasn't a soul in the room other than that of the person sitting at the front desk to Natarii's left. They were fast asleep. This was the perfect opportunity to do some thorough searching. Natarii removed her hood from her head to remove any signs of suspicion.

Her footsteps were silent as she walked around the library, trying to familiarize herself with the way it was organized. To the right were several shelves and isles that were mainly filled with fiction novels and other books, such as biographies and the select non-fiction stories people typically read for recreation. On the left side of the library was where all the informational books were. Separating the two sides was a barrier of tables and chairs, and there were also some along the walls as well.

Natarii glanced over to the man at the front desk. He was still fast asleep. Knowing this, Natarii felt more at ease. _Any information about my family would be found in the appendices_, Natarii thought to herself as she crossed the library, weaving in and out of tables. Remembering from her earlier exploring, Natarii went to the back of the library, for that was where the encyclopedias, appendices, and other informational record books.

Natarii walked into the isle of books. She was surrounded by their dusty, thick, dull colored bindings. She could tell they weren't looked at very often by the amounts of dust on them. Looking left and right, up and down, and then left and right again, Natarii scanned the bookshelves. _The Kyuubi attack was sixteen years ago_, Natarii thought. _I need one from sixteen years ago_. She found the book from the most recent year, which was five years in the past. She had to backtrack eleven more years. _Eleven, ten, nine, eight_...Natarii counted the numbers in her head as she skimmed her right index finger along the spine of each super thick book. _Five, four, three, two, one_. Natarii's finger stopped on a book, the one that seemed to have less dust and slightly faded color to it. It was a color with such a slim difference than the others, the average person would most likely not notice. This screamed to Natarii that this was the book that had been looked through more often than the others. It had to be the one.

Natarii put her finger on the spine of the book and pulled it off the shelf, catching it in her hand before it had the chance to fall. In her hands, the book was smooth, but gritty feeling from the dust. It was extremely heavy, weighing eight pounds at the least. But Natarii was used to this extreme weight that came from books. Propping it up on her right arm, she began flipping through pages. She sighed with relief when she noticed the majority of the book was describing the Kyuubi attack. There were even notes and comments scribbled into the margins of each page. The first book Natarii found herself examining turned out to be the jackpot. It even had brief descriptions of everyone's mission.

Natarii smirked. She never imagined it would be so easy. Plus, they would have such documents in a library! Unless there were more detailed and secret documents hidden somewhere else. But right now, there was no need to worry about that. All she had to do was find her parents' assignments. If she did that, she could possibly be a step closer to discovering something about removing the seal from her body.

Quickly, Natarii turned to the wall, looking for a clock. It was almost four o'clock. She had about two hours. _That should be enough time to read through this thing_. Natarii flipped to the back of the book. _One thousand ninety-six pages_, she continued in her mind. _Maybe I'll get through half of it_. Not wasting any time, Natarii opened the book, reading through everything that had happened that year. The beginning was quite boring; nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen, even with the village being full with ninja. She was about a quarter of the way through the book, and she came upon the month of October. _Already?_ Natarii thought to herself. It then dawned upon her that that's when the Kyuubi assault happened. Looking ahead of the page she was on, Natarii discovered the attack descriptions took on more than half of the book. There was a description of the battle, where they took the women and children to keep them safe, a list of each ninja's assignments, a fatality list, a casualty list, etc. Natarii skimmed the fatality list. She was curious about what she might find. Under the letter "N," she found Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, and Nara Shizuyo, her mom's childhood friend. She continued to skim down the list. Her eyes tripped up on two names under the letter "T." Her eyes widened with confusion and fear. Under the letter "T," were the names: Takanami Kazuki and Takanami Makina.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, February 16! _

_Next is: "Chapter 26: Lies!" Natarii's discovery in the library has her confused and itching for answers! Will she find them? Meanwhile, Naruto continues to cover for Natarii!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	26. Chapter 26: Lies

Chapter 26: Lies

Natarii stared at the page - she couldn't take her eyes off it. How could her parents be on the fatality list if they were alive and well? Natarii thought about the possibilities. It could be a typo, but someone who created such a document would have to check the list, then check it again, and again to make sure there weren't any errors. It couldn't be a typo.

There was the chance that perhaps they did die, and Natarii had been living with impostors her entire life. That didn't seem possible either. Even though Natarii didn't look a thing like her parents, there were some subtle similarities. Heck, Jiraya knew who she was by just looking at her. Wouldn't her brother, Keizu, have known? Plus, if her parents were, in fact, impostors, wouldn't her mom have mentioned it along with the other information? Her mom was honest. If there was anything else for her to say, she would've said it.

Natarii closed the book and pulled out a sheet of paper from her pocket notepad and a pencil. She wrote something, then stood up, the book securely tucked under her right arm. She was trying to move her left arm as little as possible.

Natarii walked to the front of the library by the desk. It turned out to be a middle-aged man who was sleeping. She poked him, but he didn't move. He snored. Very loudly. Natarii huffed a breath as she slid the note she had written underneath the man's arm. It read:

_"I'm borrowing a book. It does not concern you which book. But, I guarantee I will bring it back where it belongs."_

With that, Natarii left the library, hood up, with the book in her hands. She was back into the chills of the night. She ran as fast as she could, but the taping around her ankle was coming loose. The pain was returning. _I have to make it back_, Natarii repeated the words in her head. Her pace became slower, for she knew she had around twenty minutes before she had to return to the hospital.

* * *

_This is so awkward_, Naruto thought to himself as he pretended to sleep in the form of Natarii. _I knew I should've sent a clone with her._ Time seemed to pass more slowly. Each minute felt like an hour.Natarii's mom had returned to the room. She continuously kept talking as if "Natarii" was awake. She asked questions like, "When you get out of the hospital, what would you like to eat? I can get all your favorite foods if you'd like," and, "What do you thing about me getting you some new books?" It was as if she was trying to make amends for something, but Naruto was unaware that Natarii's mom had done anything wrong.

Natarii's mom sighed. "I'm sorry, Natarii," she said shakily. She sounded like she was trying to hold back tears. "I'm so sorry..."

Naruto was confused, his ears instantly opened, curious as to what Makina was talking about.

"All the lies...all the pain I've put you through..." Makina continued. "That's why I can't let them take the seal off you. It will keep you safe."

_She's not going to have the seal taken off?_ Naruto thought to himself with surprise. He kept on listening.

"I'm sorry your father and I failed to protect you the way we swore to, and-" she was cut off by the swish of the door.

"You're in here again?" It was Tsunade.

Makina nodded. "I just wanted to make sure she's all right."

"She's going to be fine. Let the poor child rest. She's going to be unsure of things now that you told her everything. That's normal. Just let her be."

Makina nodded once again and stood up from her chair. She walked out of the room with Tsunade. The door made a small tap as it was shut gently.

Naruto's eyes were wide, for he couldn't believe what he had just heard. What happened between Natarii and her mom? Why was Natarii hiding it from him? Whenever she returned, he was going to question her. Greatly. For now, he knew it was best to stay put. He couldn't let Natarii down for...well...whatever it was she was doing.

* * *

Natarii stared up at the same tree from her first escape. She gulped, for her ankle was throbbing with an intense twinge that wouldn't seem to go away. _It's only a little further_, Natarii thought as she grabbed the nearest branch. She struggled, her feet slipping along the trunk of the tree, but in enough time, she was able to prop herself on the branch. Natarii continued to climb slowly up the tree until she was on the roof. Once she stumbled onto the roof, she crawled as quickly as she could back to her room window. Once she made it, she pushed on the window, but it wouldn't budge. _Idiot_, Natarii thought to herself, _he must've locked it_. Natarii quietly tapped on the window. _Come on, let me in!_

Slowly, the window slid to the side, and Natarii climbed back in to her room. She glanced at the clock. Six o'clock exactly. She made it. Her gaze then went to Naruto, who was still in Natarii's form. He closed the window, then turned to Natarii. He formed a hand sign, and he returned to his normal state. Then, he turned to Natarii with a rather odd look in his eye.

Natarii hid her book under the pillows on the bed, and looked at Naruto with a satisfied glance. "Thank you," she said with a smile. "That helped a lot. Did my mom come back or anything?"

Naruto didn't reply. He walked toward Natarii.

"Naruto?" Natarii backed away, stumbling on her bad ankle and nearly falling to the ground. But she regained her balance.

Naruto grabbed Natarii's shoulders, sending a swift pang to her left shoulder. Her held them strongly and firmly in his grasp. Natarii wasn't going anywhere.

Natarii stared up at him, greatly concerned and flinching from the pain. "What's gotten into you?! Let go of me!"

"You gotta tell me what happened!" He said seriously. His eyes were narrowed, and he seemed tense. "What happened between you and your mom?" He was trembling.

Natarii stared at him with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" Naruto exclaimed. He opened his mouth to say something more, but, noticing Natarii's fearful and pained look, he backed off before anything came out. He let go of her shoulders and stepped back.

Natarii clutched her shoulder as if she thought it would make the discomfort go away. She glared at Naruto. "What's gotten into you? I seriously don't know what you're talking about."

"Your mom came back into the room," Naruto began.

Natarii listened closely.

He continued, "She said something about not taking the seal off you, but she told me she was going to. Then Tsunade came in and said you would be mad after you mom telling you 'everything.'"

Natarii's eyes widened.

"What's 'everything'?" Naruto asked. "Why won't she get her friend to take the seal off you?"

Natarii sighed and sat down on the bed. "I guess it's pointless to keep hiding it," she said. "My mom's friend who she said could take the seal off me died in the Kyuubi attack sixteen years ago."

Naruto's eyes became wide with surprise. "Did you know?" He asked.

Difficult decision. Was Natarii to tell him the truth? That her mother simply said those words to not make him worry? Or that they merely overlooked things? That they "lost contact" with her over the many years and were "unaware" of her death. Natarii had already thought through the consequences. _Sorry, Naruto_, she thought as she shook her head. "My mom said she and her friend had lost contact through the years. Around the time her friend became a Genin, they had to stop talking to each other, fearful that they might have caused each other trouble."

Naruto nodded. "How come she's concerned about your safety then? She said you were safer with the seal on. If it was me, I would've taken it off you right away."

Natarii nodded. "She doesn't want me to get involved with the world that killed her beloved friend is all. I can understand that to some extent."

"And you're just going to sit around and do nothing about it?"

"Of course not." Natarii pulled out the book from under the pillows. "That's why I went to the library."

Naruto sat further down on the bed, wondering why he hadn't put the pieces together earlier. Everything made more sense to him now.

"I'm doing research," Natarii continued, "let's see if I can't get this thing off on my own."

"Now you're talking!" Naruto exclaimed with a smile. "But how are you going to do it?"

"I'm starting out by looking at files of people who have the potential of placing the seal on me." Natarii knew she couldn't tell Naruto her father was the one who had put the seal on her when she was an infant. He would go insane. All she had to hope for was that he wouldn't pick out any minor details that she could possibly be forgetting. Most likely, he wouldn't.

Natarii placed her fingers on the opening of the book, ready to flip to the place of the fatality list. She had to show Naruto. _WAIT!_ Natarii's subconscious seemed to scream at her. Then, she realized. She couldn't show him that page! Her parents' names were on it along with his parents'! Natarii couldn't risk anything. Without showing she was about to open the book, she placed it back under the pillows where it would continue to be safe. "I'm tired," Natarii said with a yawn, realizing she hadn't slept at all during the night. "I'll tell you more about my findings tomorrow. You can go back now. If my mom came in and saw you she'd be suspicious that I did something."

Naruto nodded. "You've got a point there." He walked toward the window. He opened it and was ready to leap out onto the roof.

"Don't forget to stay out of their sight," Natarii reminded him, remembering the guards that had been placed along the outer limits of the hospital.

Naruto nodded once again. "Got it. See ya." With that, he left.

Natarii made her way to the window. She closed it and locked it. Then, she went back to her bed and sat down. She slowly removed the taping from her ankle, ensuring she wouldn't bring any pain to it. The removing of the tape revealed a more swollen and red sprain. Natarii sighed as she began to shred the taping to make it look like little squares of paper. This would prevent anyone from knowing she went out in the middle of the night. She would hide the "papers" under her pillow with the book, and she would take notes with them. It wasn't abnormal for her to keep random sheets of paper nearby. After she successfully hid all of the evidence, Natarii flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling. As tired as she was, she couldn't get herself to sleep. She was lost in the midst of her thoughts. _Did I really tell him that?_ _Is it okay that I did?_ _It was for his sake…so isn't it?_ _Naruto's not that stupid…he'll probably figure out I lied to him sooner or later._

* * *

_Well, that's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, February 23!_

_Next is: "Chapter 27: Crutches and Ice Cream!" Natarii finds out when she'll be released from the hospital! The tension between her and her mom continues!_

_Ok! So, I just recently signed up for this art sharing website. I posted some fan-art I made - one for chapter 19, and the other for chapter 20 - and I thought I'd share the website details in case you might be interested in seeing them (I tried sharing the links, but they wouldn't show up T_T). The website is called MyFolio. Search ChibiNinja45! If I decide to make a manga, I will most likely post it on this website as well. ^_^ _

_Thanks for reading this far! 'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	27. Chapter 27: Crutches and Ice Cream

_Hey guys! Just a quick author's note! I don't entirely think the most recent chapters have been as well written as the ones before it, so if they are not, please let me know and I will do some further editing as soon as I can. I have been rapidly working on a separate story that is extremely important to me, so I haven't had as much time to pay attention to this one. Thanks for understanding!_

* * *

Chapter 27: Crutches and Ice Cream

"Well, everything seems to be functioning properly," A young woman with light brown hair and blue eyes told Natarii. Her hair was tired back into a bun, and she wore a nurse's uniform. She held a clipboard in her arms. She wrote on a sheet of paper. "We may be able to get you out of here sooner than we thought."

"That's a relief," Makina said. She was sitting on a stool next to Natarii, who had changed back into the hospital gown from the day before. She smiled. "Now you can get back to school."

Natarii rolled her eyes. She had to admit, though she was particularly fond of the academic aspect of school, she didn't care for the people.

The nurse continued. "We'll have to keep you off that ankle though. I'm still not entirely sure how the swelling could've gone up so fast in only one night."

"I don't know either," Natarii replied, acting as if the events from the previous night never happened. She glanced at her mom, who didn't seem to notice anything strange about Natarii's behavior.

"We'll have to put you on crutches."

Natarii's eyes widened with disgust. "What?!" She groaned. "No way!"

"What's wrong with it?" Makina asked. "It's to help you get better."

"I understand that! But the kids at school treat me like I'm a god or something! They'll be up my butt about it - asking me what happened! It's so annoying..." Natarii puffed.

Makina sighed. "Well, I'm sure being treated like a god is better than the way they used to treat you." The seriousness in her mother's voice sent chills down Natarii's spine, along with the memories of the not too distant past.

"Fine," Natarii said, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to hide the fact she had been utterly disturbed. "I'll take your point."

The nurse bowed. "I'm glad you don't mind," she said. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She slid the door open, walked out, and closed it behind her.

Natarii sighed, and her mom didn't say anything. It was quite the awkward silence. Natarii wanted to know what her mom was thinking. She had always been impossible to read, so Natarii usually gave up when trying to get into her mind. However, this time was different. Given the circumstances, Natarii desperately wanted answers to every single one of her unasked questions. She was determined to find them.

When the nurse came back in, as strange as it seemed, all awkwardness went away. Natarii really didn't want to be alone with her mom after everything that had happened, at least not yet. The nurse carried a pair of crutches in her hands. She set them down, leaning them against the bed so Natarii could easily reach them.

"You can spend the day outside if you'd like. Just make sure you're back by tonight. There are still a few tests we need to run before we can let you go," the nurse explained with a smile.

Natarii nodded in understanding. "All right." She turned her body so her legs would be hanging over the side of the bed and reached for the crutches. First, she put her left foot on the ground, then, she propped the crutches under her armpits. She was hunched over slightly, for the crutches weren't the right height.

"Let's adjust those so you don't hurt your arms," the nurse said as she bent over to fix the height by twisting a small knob. She did it to the crutch on the right, then the one on the left. Once the crutches were locked in place, Natarii was standing up straight. "Is that better?" The nurse asked.

Natarii simply nodded.

"How does that shoulder feel?"

"It gives off a bit of pain every once and awhile...but it doesn't hurt right now," Natarii replied.

The nurse nodded. "Good." She wrote something down on her clipboard, then walked toward the door. "The day is yours," she with a smile as she left the room.

Natarii looked around the room and noticed a fresh change of clothes on the counter. She leaned the crutches against the bed and hopped over to the clothes on her good foot. It was a pair of jeans and her favorite red shirt. Natarii struggled to put the clothes on, but she had it within a few minutes. Then, she picked up the crutches and moved forward, clumsily, toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Makina asked from the opposite side of the room.

"Out," Natarii said plainly. "I need some air."

Makina nodded. "All right. Be back by the time they need to run the tests." She pulled out the yarn and needles she had been working with throughout the previous night. The subtle clicking arose once again in the silence of the room.

Natarii slid the door open. She hesitated, then mumbled the words, "See you." She exited the room and slid the door shut with her sprained ankle, which hurt a lot more than she thought it would. Regardless, Natarii continued down the hallway.

After taking an elevator, Natarii went out the front doors. Her armpits were starting to grow sore, but she assumed they would eventually get used to the crutches.

Outside, the air was warm and thick. Typically, Natarii wasn't too fond of this type of weather. Today, after being cooped up in the hospital, she loved it.

Natarii looked around. It was a typical morning. The streets around the hospital weren't too crowded, but the main streets were bustling with people and vendors. Natarii decided it was best to stay away from large amounts of people - especially since she was still a bit clumsy on the crutches.

She decided to sit on a bench that rested in the middle of a large patch of grass across from the hospital. She leaned the crutches against the side of the armrest so they wouldn't touch the ground.

She sat silently, looking forward. She was in a daze - lost in her thoughts - her imagination. It startled her, making her jump, when she felt someone poke her shoulder. At least it was her good shoulder.

"Sneak out again?" The voice was distinct, and easy to recognize. Natarii turned. Naruto stood behind her.

Stubbornly, Natarii turned to the front. "I was allowed to leave, thank you very much," she said stubbornly, arms folded across her chest.

"I was kidding," Naruto walked around the bench and sat on the opposing side next to the arm rest.

"I figured as much," Natarii replied, placing her hands in her lap.

There were a few seconds of silence, then Naruto spoke. "You remember that bet we made?"

Natarii sank in her seat. She was hoping he would have forgotten. It was obvious he was the winner. She was going to have to treat him to whatever he wanted, most likely ramen at Ichiraku, and he earned bragging rights. That was the worst part. He was going to end up rubbing it in her face - how much more awesome he was. "Y-yeah..." Natarii stuttered out of her disappointment. "How can I forget? Go ahead. Rub it in my face."

Naruto stared at Natarii with a confused look. "What are you talking about? I was gonna say you won..."

Natarii burst with laughter. "Don't make me laugh!" She had trouble containing herself. "Be serious!"

"I am being serious."

"Seriously?" Natarii's eyes of confusion were locked on Naruto. She grasped her crutches and held them up. "I come back pummeled and you come back...not even a scratch!"

"Not really," Naruto denied. "I had them all over...they just healed already."

"Really? That's physically impossible," Natarii retorted.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Forget that! You won the bet, so tell me what you want before I change my mind."

Natarii turned her head toward Naruto. He was looking in the opposite direction, and his cheeks were a little pink. "Do I have to decide now?" she asked him, realizing it was impossible to convince him of her opinion. She figured it was best to take advantage of the situation.

"Yeah."

"But I don't know what I want."

"Just pick something."

Natarii thought for a moment. "I want ice cream," she finally said.

"That's it?" Naruto asked with suspicion. He imagined Natarii would take great advantage of her winning by choosing something expensive.

She nodded. "Yes. That is all."

Naruto stood up halfway, only to be stopped by Natarii.

"Not today, though," she said. "Maybe next time."

"You seem out of it. Are you okay?"

"I'm stressed. Too many different circumstances piled onto me in a short amount of time. All I need is a few days to recover and I'll be fine," she said formally, which gave away the fact that she was in distress. Natarii stared at her hands, which still sat in her lap, as she twirled her thumbs. "Say," she began, "do you mind...if we talk seriously for a moment?"

Naruto's eyes lit up with interest as he turned to Natarii. "Um...sure. What's going on?"

"Why didn't you tell me," Natarii hesitated, "about the Kyuubi?"

The light in Naruto's eyes faded. "Oh, that." He looked upward toward the sky. Slightly embarrassed, he scratched at the back of his head. "It's the reason why people hated me so much...so I guess I thought if I told you, you'd hate me too."

Natarii stared at Naruto, surprised with what she was hearing.

"I don't really think I could live with myself if you hated me," he continued. "Although, since I hurt you-"

"How'd you figure that out?" Natarii asked, remembering she hadn't told Naruto that he was the one who injured her.

Naruto shrugged. "I hurt Sakura once. And she lied to me like you did."

Natarii sat in silence.

"Since I hurt you, I wouldn't blame you if you hated me. Just don't expect me to let you go that easily."

"It's nice to know you have solid feelings," Natarii said. "I don't think I could ever hate you," she continued after a small pause. "So what if you have an evil demon fox inside you? You're my friend."

Naruto stared at Natarii with wide eyes. No one had ever said such words to him to that extent.

Natarii turned away from him and stared at her hands. "That probably sounded a little weird. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." In reality, the words meant a lot to him, but he didn't want to make a big deal out of them. Naruto debated whether he should ask a certain question or not. He was unsure if it would put more stress on Natarii. Forgetting about the debate, he asked her anyway. "Did you find anything else about the seal?"

Natarii, as if the previous conversation never happened, shook her head. "I haven't had time. When I go back to school, however, I will have plenty more time to do research."

"Really? Wouldn't you have less time?"

Natarii shook her head. "Since I have the top scores, they let me skip out on classes and chill in the library. I come and go as I please. I can study whatever I want."

Naruto was surprised. A school that allows the top student come and go? "So, you could skip school if you wanted to?" he asked curiously.

Natarii thought for a moment, putting her finger on her chin. "I guess I could. I get all my assignments done ahead of time. It isn't like I would be missing anything."

"Then why don't you just pretend to go to school and come here to continue your training or something?"

Natarii looked at Naruto with wide, rather amazed, eyes. "You know...that's not a bad idea." It was rare when Natarii found herself agreeing with Naruto. She was impressed.

"Really?"

Natarii nodded. "Perhaps on the weekends. On Saturday we only have a half day anyway. I suppose I could miss them in order to come here. It may help me grow closer to the answer I've been looking for."

Naruto smiled. "Glad I can help."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Natarii began, "but you really are smart sometimes."

Naruto's smile widened. He scratched at the back of his head.

"Keyword: 'sometimes,'" Natarii finished with a laugh.

Her extravagant blue eyes sparkled in the brightness of the sun in a way Naruto hadn't noticed before. They were filled with life and happiness despite everything that had happened. He still felt guilty for injuring her shoulder, but the way she acted toward him made it seem like she didn't think a thing of it. Nothing had changed.

"Naruto."

Natarii's snap brought him out of his thoughts. "What?"

"Can we get ice cream now?"

"I thought you didn't want it today."

"I changed my mind." Natarii smiled. Naruto couldn't help but notice the joy and sweetness behind it.

* * *

_That's it for today's chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, March 2!_

_Next is: "Chapter 28: The Return Home!" Natarii is finally released from the hospital and returns to her normal life. She continues to study the large book she borrowed from the library, and in the process, she uncovers something she hadn't noticed before!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	28. Chapter 28: The Return Home

Chapter 28: The Return Home

Natarii looked around the hospital room, the appendix tucked under her arm. Everything had been cleaned. It was ready for its next inhabitant. She was leaving for her home. It was time for her to return to life. However, that was not exactly what she planned. Remembering what she had talked with Naruto about the previous day, Natarii was going to skip school on the weekends; although she knew her mother wouldn't approve. Natarii herself wasn't fond of such irresponsible behavior either. She felt like she had no choice but to comply. Her life was on the line.

Natarii turned from the room, closing the door behind her. She made her way down the hallway, her stability better than it had been. She was getting used to the crutches.

Makina waited on the main floor by the front desk. She seemed nervous, for she was stroking, twisting, and twirling a piece of her long hair rather quickly.

Natarii came out of the elevator that was to the right of the desk.

"There you are," Makina remarked at the sight of her daughter. "I was beginning to wonder where you were."

_Am I under surveillance now?_ Natarii thought to herself. "I'm right here," she said. "You don't have to worry so much."

"I know. Just motherly instincts." Makina noticed the large book under Natarii's arm. "What's that?"

"Hm?" Natarii looked down at the book. "Oh, this? This is nothing. Just a bit of light reading." She made her way to her mom. "Are you really going to make me 'walk' the entire way home?"

Makina nodded reluctantly, not questioning the book. "It wasn't my original intention, but there isn't any other way."

"Dad couldn't bring the car?" Natarii questioned.

Makina shook her head. "He needed it to get to town for work."

"Crud." Natarii walked to the sliding doors. "Might as well leave now then. If I fall down dead, I'm blaming you."

"Don't say things like that! Especially after what just happened!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking!" Natarii shot, making her way out the door.

Makina walked quickly after her, trying to catch up. The two continued through the village, trying to avoid the more crowded streets.

Natarii wished she could fasten her pace. In a sense, she was excited to go home. She wouldn't have to worry about the Akatsuki for a brief period of time. She had a feeling they were going to come back and strike again. They didn't seem like a group that would give up so easily. They _were_ S-ranked criminals after all.

Natarii and her mom walked through the main gates of the village. They were on the main road, surrounded by forest. They were going home.

* * *

Natarii stood before a large home. It was a western-style ranch home in the back of a small town. It was only a few miles away from Konoha, but separated from all reality it seemed. The town was composed of mainly western-style houses like Natarii's, a small market for groceries, doctors, and the other basic necessities. There was a small school, but it was not Natarii's school. Natarii attended a high school for the academically elite. It was in the city. The majority of the people in the small town had to commute to the city, which was extremely far away - an hour walk to the train station, and a thirty-minute train ride. Even after that, there was still a bit further to go.

It was a quiet town, peaceful, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Natarii liked it, mainly because she hadn't lived anywhere else in her life. She didn't know anything else.

Makina opened the front door and walked inside. She motioned for Natarii to follow. Natarii went inside and her mom closed the door behind her.

"I'll be in my room," Natarii said, making her way down the hallway.

"Studying already?" her mom asked. "I was going to make some of your favorite foods for you."

"I'll come get them when they're finished," Natarii opened a door and disappeared into the basement. There was a flight of eight descending stairs, a platform, then another set of eight stairs. She had a few stumbles, for it was difficult to manage the stairs with her crutches. It wasn't too bad, though. At the bottom was a large, open, carpeted area. To the right, there was a bar with two stools and hanging lights. Out in front of it was a dining table, which was stacked and filled with loose leaf paper and art supplies.

To the left was a small living area. It had a small, brown couch that looked brand new, a coffee table in front of the couch, a tall lamp to the left side of the couch, closest to the wall, and a TV on a basic stand that held DVD's and video tapes. To the right of the living area along the wall was the doorway to Natarii's room.

Natarii walked to her room and opened the door. "Man, I should've cleaned it," she thought aloud as the room was revealed. There were stacks of papers and books that were up to her waist scattered all over the floor and on her bed. It was hard for her to navigate through the mess with her crutches. To make it easier, Natarii put her crutches against the wall and hopped through her room on her good foot. She set the appendix she borrowed from the Konoha library on her bed. Next, she moved the rest of the stacks, on one foot, to the corner of her room where the other stacks sat.

Natarii sighed with satisfaction. She sat on her bed, which was directly in front of the doorway along the wall. Next to it on Natarii's right, facing the doorway, was a small nightstand. It was the only clear piece of furniture in the room. There was a small lamp on it, an alarm clock, and a special pink pencil that had kittens on it with some notebook paper. Natarii picked up the pencil, along with a piece of paper. She opened the appendix to page 627, the page with the fatality and casualty lists. She studied them, reading the fatality list close to ten times in only five minutes. Notes were taken. The graphite in the mechanical pencil didn't break even once. Looking over the notes, the names of people she recognized, Natarii searched for a pattern. Nothing seemed to click. With a sigh, Natarii put the piece of paper between the two pages and closed the book. She now lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.

What was she going to do now that she was home? Was she going to have to worry about the Akatsuki? Was she going to be able to continue her training behind her parents' backs? To Natarii's knowledge, her dad wasn't aware of her current state. He didn't know about her sprained ankle or her injured shoulder. It was a shame he was going to find out about it later that evening. Natarii assumed he would not be happy about it, especially considering his tragic back story. Surely he wouldn't want Natarii to go back to the dangers of the ninja world. In fact, Natarii assumed he would most likely be more resilient on letting Natarii take off the seal. He was the one who put it on her after all.

Natarii rapidly shook her head to escape from her daze. Being in a messy room alone with her thoughts was a dangerous place to be. Natarii sat up and put her good foot on the rough carpet. She stood up and hopped to her crutches, grabbed them, and positioned them comfortably under her arms. Natarii opened her door, only to see her mom coming down the stairs. Her expression hardened.

"How're you feeling?" Makina asked, managing a smile. She carried a small tray in her hands that carried a black bento tier and a steaming cup.

"Fine," Natarii replied, hiding her frustration behind a smile. "In fact, I believe the tension in my ankle is beginning to disperse."

Makina flinched at Natarii's diction. She knew that was due to one of two circumstances. The first one: Natarii had been studying in her room and was delighted with bits and pieces of information she had learned. The second one: Natarii was upset. If she was upset, Makina was going to have to be careful with her word choices. "That's wonderful," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Taking a break from your studies?"

Natarii nodded. "Yes. I figured I would watch a bit of television."

"Is that so?" Makina was surprised. It was not often when Natarii would watch TV. "Well, I told you I would make some of your favorite foods, and here they are with a bit of green tea." She held the tray out toward Natarii.

Natarii reached out to take the tray from her mother.

Makina pulled the tray back. "No, no. I'll set it down for you. It'll be too hard for you to carry it."

"Right," Natarii remarked.

"Go ahead and sit down."

Natarii obeyed and made her way to the couch. She sat down on the soft and firm, but comfortable couch, picking a fleece blanket with kittens on it up off the floor.

Makina followed and set the tray of food down on the coffee table. She took Natarii's crutches and leaned them against the side of the couch. "Are you going to be all right down here by yourself?"

Natarii nodded. "This isn't similar to the event in which my arm was fractured and you had to feed me."

Makina sighed. "I know. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

Natarii pulled the blanket up to her waist and reached for the tray. "I'll be fine."

"If you say so." With that, Makina went back up the stairs, and Natarii was alone.

She examined the bento her mom made. There were konbu rice balls, octopus sausages, apple slices that were shaped like bunnies, and omelets. Omelets. Natarii stared at the omelets. Her mom almost never made omelets for her. Although, it's not like she didn't know why. Omelets were her brother's favorite. It hurt her too much to make them. Whenever her mom did make them, it was when Natarii was angered, or hurt.

Natarii smiled and picked up the metal chopsticks that lay on the tray. She took an omelet out of the box and popped it into her mouth. It was bursting with flavor. Natarii's irritation was quickly turned into delight as she chewed on the soft omelet.

Natarii turned on the TV, not really wanting to watch anything, but she hated silence. The show on the TV didn't particularly interest her, but she didn't feel like changing the channel. It was a romantic comedy. There was a guy on the screen holding a letter, and another guy next to him.

"I don't get what's wrong with this letter!" The first boy exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air. "I finally get a love letter and this is what it says!"

"Maybe that's just what they want you to think," the second boy said, trying to calm his friend down. "No one would say that in a love letter!"

Natarii stopped herself from taking another bite of the food. Her mouth sat wide open, a piece of octopus sausage held tightly between the chopsticks she held by her mouth as the show continued. The conversation of the two boys in the TV show played over and over in her mind. She had an idea.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, March 9!_

_Next is: "Chapter 29: Strange Encounter!" Natarii is trying to adjust to her usual routine. That changes when she finds herself encountering..._

_'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	29. Chapter 29: Strange Encounter

Chapter 29: Strange Encounter

"You might as well let her be, Makina." Kazuki sat at the table watching his wife as she cooked supper. The light in his blue eyes seemed to fade. His light brown hair was short. He adjusted the glasses on his face. "She may be almost sixteen, but she's still a child. She's naive."

Makina turned around sharply from her pot of rice, not satisfied with her husband's reply. "What are you saying?"

"Let her figure things out. She's perfectly capable."

"You want her to be hunted like a mouse in the woods?!" Makina slammed the wood spoon she was holding to the counter. "I will not stand for this! I will not let her die like Keizu!"

Kazuki's expression softened. He felt Makina's fury. He opened his mouth to continue.

"Do you want her to have the same fate as Minato? Kushina? Do they mean nothing to you now?"

Kazuki stared at the ground and twirled his thumbs. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his thoughts together. "I would never want that."

Makina turned back around to stir her cooking. "So, what are you going to do about it? Natarii said she was going to find a way to take the seal off."

"She what?!" Kazuki nearly stood up from his seat.

"You heard me," Makina replied. "She's already accomplished _Bijuu no Fuuinjutsu Phase One_."

"Did she really? With the seal? That girl never ceases to amaze me..."

"Kazuki! This is serious!" Makina snapped. "She almost died!"

"I understand that!" Kazuki sat back in the chair. "But how else does Natarii figure these things out?"

Makina sighed. "On her own."

"Exactly."

Makina bit her lip. "You're not going to tell her how to take the seal off, though, right?"

"I can't."

"What?" Makina was confused.

"Even when I put the seal on her the day she was born...I was unaware of any way to take it off."

* * *

Natarii stared at the television screen. "Idiot," she mumbled to herself as she put the octopus sausage she had been holding for the past minute or so into her mouth. "Why didn't you think of it before?" She put another piece of sausage into her mouth.

Natarii reached for the remote. She turned the TV off. Forgetting about her crutches, she stood up from the couch and hopped, on her good foot, to her room. The book sat on her bed where she left it. Quickly, Natarii opened the book to the fatality list. "What are they trying to hide?" she muttered.

The page itself was examined this time. She had to look closely. What she was looking for wasn't going to be exposed easily. A nook. A cranny. A faded spot. Anything.

Then Natarii saw something - a small shadow by her father's name. It was very small, something one wouldn't notice after five, no ten glances.

Natarii scratched at the shadow, ensuring that it wasn't something else, like dirt. Sure enough, the mark stayed. Now she was getting somewhere. Her heart was pounding. She moved her gaze to her mother's name. Nothing. If it was as she thought, anything connecting with her mother's name would be more secret. Hoping for more results, Natarii turned the page. Her eyes widened. She looked at the page numbers - 628 on the left and 633 on the right. There were five pages missing.

Natarii clenched her fist out of frustration. She slammed it as hard as she could into her pillow, sending a ripple through the sheets and blankets. In order to finalize her theory, Natarii looked at the inside of the back cover. Everything seemed to be in order. But, something caught her eye. In the bottom right-hand corner, there were markings.

"Public Copy."

"Are you kidding?!" Natarii exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air out of frustration. "Public copy, my foot!" She raged, shutting the book and tossing it on the floor, creating a huge thump. Natarii folded her arms across her chest and bit her thumb. "I cannot believe I fell for this trick," she muttered. "It's not even the real thing! The real statistics must be hidden somewhere secret." She was lost in thought._ Is it safe to tell Naruto this?_ _Most likely not._ _How do I tell him I need to find the real copy?_

"Natarii!"

Natarii was instantly brought out of her trance. Her mom had called her. "What?!" She shouted loudly so her voice would be Carried through the walls.

"Come eat dinner!"

"Coming!" Natarii stood from her bed on her good foot. She hopped out to her crutches and headed toward the stairs. She would have to think about her troubles later.

* * *

Music. There was music coming from the darkness. Natarii opened her eyes. Music from her small radio traveled throughout the room. She groaned, for she was still extremely tired. Despite this, she got out of bed, propping her crutches under her arms. She stared into her closet, looking at her uniform choices. The uniform had a nice shirt with a sailor collar and a pleated skirt. The shirt was white, the collar was royal blue with a nice red stripe going down the center, and out of the center of the collar came a red tie. On the short sleeves of the shirt were cuffs that matched the collar. The skirt was royal blue to match. Natarii put on her remaining shirt, since her original one was destroyed during The Incident. Next, she took the skirt and put it on over her sweat pants she had been wearing during the night. She buttoned and zipped her skirt, then slipped her pants off.

Natarii looked at her shoulder. The horrible injury couldn't be seen, but it could potentially be seen if the circumstances were right. She'd stand out if she changed to her winter shirt, but if she wore her winter sweater, it'd be a bit less attention grabbing. All she had to do was tell people she was cold. Natarii took hold of the soft, brown sweater and put it on. No one would have to question her disgusting injury. Satisfied, Natarii left her room. She went up the stairs, having more ease than the previous day.

"Hello?" Natarii opened the basement door and stepped into the hallway.

Makina peeked her head out from the kitchen - to Natarii's right. She smiled. "There you are. I was afraid you overslept."

Natarii shook her head. "No such thing." She made her way to the door. Her shoes sat neatly against the wall with white knee socks tucked inside them.

"You're leaving already?" Makina asked.

"Yeah. I have to get a head-start since I'll be walking to the train station with these," Natarii replied, motioning to her crutches.

"Your dad offered to drive you."

"I am capable of walking." Riding alone in the car with her dad was one of the last things she wanted to do. Natarii picked up her shoes and carefully sat down on the floor. She pulled her socks up to the bottom of her knees, then slipped her brown school shoes on. "I'll be going."

"You haven't had your breakfast yet," Makina stated.

"Not hungry. Ate too much last night." Natarii grabbed a brown, leather school bag from a coat hook that hung on the wall. "See you." She put the pack on her back, stood up from the floor, and opened the front door. With that, she left.

Natarii made her way across the large front lawn. The air was crisp and warm - she was already nearly sweating in her sweater. The birds sang, and the trees danced in the small breeze. Everything was completely normal. Everything except a figure in the distance. It looked like whoever it was was waiting for her.

Natarii squinted her eyes, trying to identify the person. _Naruto? _She questioned in her mind. As she got closer, she realized her guess was right. It was Naruto. _What the heck is he doing here?_

* * *

_That's it for today's chapter! I will not be able to post next Saturday, but you know what? I'm feeling a bit nice! ^_^ I will post the next chapter on Friday, March 15! You're welcome! XD_

_Next is: "Chapter 30: A New World!" Naruto is exposed to the details of Natarii's relatively normal life. But why exactly is he there?_

_Wow, 30 chapters...seems like yesterday I was posting the first chapter! Time really does fly when you're having fun. ^_^ Thanks you guys for reading! _

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	30. Chapter 30: A New World

Chapter 30: A New World

Natarii approached Naruto with a rather strange look in her eye that screamed the words, "Explain! Now!" He never came to Natarii's house on his own unless something was seriously wrong. "What's going on?" Natarii asked. She looked at Naruto from head to toe, for he was not wearing his usual clothes. Instead, he was wearing a plain, light orange shirt with a royal blue hooded jacket and loose-fitted khaki cargo pants. Natarii wondered why he suddenly decided to randomly switch to relatively normal clothes.

"Tsunade Oba-chan wants me to watch over you," Naruto replied with a smile. He rolled his sleeves up to his mid-forearm and put his hands in his jacket pockets.

"What's with the clothes?" Natarii asked.

Naruto looked down at himself. "I don't really know...Tsunade Oba-chan gave them to me. Said something about blending in or whatever. I wasn't really paying attention."

Natarii sighed. "She has a point if it's for blending in. If you wear your usual clothes, you'd stick out like a sore thumb." She moved forward, passing Naruto. "We better leave now. I don't want to be late."

Naruto followed. "How far away is it anyway?"

"The walk to the train station is about an hour. The train to the city is about half an hour. Then the final walk to school is about ten minutes," Natarii replied.

"No wonder you get up so early," Naruto said with a yawn. "Don't you get tired of it?"

"Not really. It's tedious, but well worth it." Natarii continued to walk through the small town, Naruto following. It was still dark outside, street lamps dimly lighting the dirt path. The buildings were dark and lifeless.

"Do you walk this way every morning by yourself?" Naruto asked randomly.

Natarii glanced up at him with an odd look. "What kind of question is that? Of course I do."

"I advise against that from now on."

"Look at you using such powerful words," Natarii remarked with a small laugh.

"I'm being serious!" Naruto shot. "The Akatsuki could show at any time you know."

Natarii continued to walk, exiting the small town, now on the main road that lead to Konoha. But she continued in the opposite direction of it. "I know that already. You don't have to remind me. But how else am I supposed to get to the places I need to go?"

"I'll go with you."

"Doesn't that sound a bit stalker-ish?" Natarii retorted.

"When you put it that way..." Naruto shook his head, not wanting to take Natarii's retort literally. "No, it doesn't," he corrected himself. "'Cause technically I'm supposed to."

"You're supposed to stalk me?" Natarii was stifling her laugh.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Forget it. You know what I mean."

Natarii smiled and continued walking, Naruto next to her. The majority of the walk was spent in silence, for it was still extremely early in the morning.

* * *

About an hour passed. In the short distance was a small, brick building. There were lights coming out of the windows. Behind the building, there was a massive, modern passenger train. There was steam coming from beneath the large, metal wheels. Naruto's eyes widened at the sight.

"Finally," Natarii remarked. "We get to sit down soon."

"Is that the thing you were talking about?" Naruto asked, pointing to the train.

"Yeah. I keep forgetting you've never been on a train," Natarii replied. She stepped up to the door of the small building and opened it. Naruto took hold of the door and held it open. Natarii made her way inside.

Inside, there was a desk and a few chairs. A man sat at the desk. He had a strong build that made one wonder if all he did was run a small train station. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes. There were small patches of hair on his face. He grinned. "So, you decided to come back, Natarii?" he asked jokingly. "Where've you been?"

"I got into a bit of an accident at the library," Natarii replied, covering the true story.

The desk man laughed. "Why does that not surprise me?" He took a pencil out from a small cup on the corner of the desk. "What can I do for you today? The usual?"

Natarii nodded as she reached into her backpack. She pulled out a small piece of paper and slid it toward the man. "He'll be coming with me today." Natarii pointed to Naruto.

The man glanced at Naruto and smiled. "All right." He marked on the slip of paper with the pencil. Then, he handed it back to Natarii. "You can go ahead and get on. The train leaves in five minutes."

Natarii put the paper back in her pack. "Thank you." She bowed.

Naruto stood, unsure of what to do. Natarii nudged his shoulder. He bowed. "Th-thank you," he stuttered.

"Stammer much?" Natarii teased with a chuckle. She started moving toward the back door, motioning for Naruto to follow. "Can you open this door?"

Naruto nodded and put his hand on the knob, turned it, and opened it. To his surprise, the door was made out of metal or something. It was extremely heavy. He had to use both of his hands to keep a fair grip on it.

"Thanks," Natarii left the building and was back outside in front of the massive train. There were already other people getting on, mainly adults who were leaving for work.

Naruto came out to the concrete platform and stood next to Natarii. He remained unusually silent, looking at everything surrounding him.

"Hey, Naruto," Natarii whispered. Due to all the noise from the train, her voice was barely audible.

"What?"

"Think of that door as the door that leads from the ninja world, to the normal world," Natarii explained.

Naruto stared at her cluelessly.

"It's best that you don't say anything about Konoha or your ninja attributes."

"Why not?"

Natarii put her face against her palm. "I've been traveling through the two 'worlds' my entire life. If you mention anything about it, they'll think you're either insane or not serious. It's best to just not mention it at all."

Naruto nodded. "Got it."

Natarii continued. "If anyone asks, we're neighbors."

"Neighbors," Naruto repeated. "I can do that."

"Good." Natarii approached the open sliding doors. Naruto followed. The car they entered was currently empty. The seats were in small booths, each set of two booths facing each other. The seats were a dark wood finish, and the seats were soft and velvety.

Natarii took her school bag off her back and placed it on the metal shelf above her head. She then sat in her seat. Naruto sat in the seat across from her.

"Now what?" He asked.

"We wait," Natarii replied, staring out the window and into the darkness of the early morning. "The train's going to leave, and then we have to go to school." She glanced at Naruto, who obviously didn't appreciate the word, "school." Natarii quickly rephrased herself. "I have to go to school. You don't. I need to think of what I'm going to do with you while I'm gone."

Naruto loosened a bit. At the same time, however, he wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not for Natarii's soon to be plan.

The train doors closed. Natarii looked around, noticing she and Naruto were the only two in the car. "That's weird," Natarii mumbled. "There are usually a few other people who ride this train with me."

"Maybe they forgot," Naruto suggested.

"It was a group of older women, so that is very well possible." Natarii sat back, holding onto her crutches. She stared out the window as the train slowly began to move forward. It gradually sped up, rushing across the tracks. Before long, it was out of the forest.

* * *

Naruto looked around the area. Long blades of grass swayed as the train passed. Power lines were visible in the near distance. There were modern houses and roads on one side of the tracks as well. It really was as if they passed through a doorway that lead from the one world to the next.

Natarii stared out the window with delight. The sun was starting to peek out of the clouds, making glorious rays that spread across the field.

"What is this place?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Just outside Kashima Jingu - one of the three sacred forests in the Kanto Region of Japan."

Naruto continued to stare out his window. "I didn't even know this place existed..."

"Of course you didn't," Natarii said. "You've been in Konoha practically your entire life. You haven't seen the other side of the world. Which reminds me, try to not take such rash actions."

"What do you mean?"

"Just try not to do anything stupid. There will be things that might shock you."

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will beposted Saturday, March 23!_

_Next is: "Chapter 31: A New Plan!" Just what exactly is Akatsuki plotting while everything seems so calm?_

_'Til Next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	31. Chapter 31: A New Plan

Chapter 31: A New Plan

The train arrived at the station. Unlike the one in the woods, it was extremely large and bustling with people. The people waited on the platforms, anxious to get on the train. Many of them were middle school and high school students who were on their way to school.

Natarii stood up from her seat on her good foot and propped her crutches underneath her arms. She reached up to the shelf and took her school bag. Then, she glanced at Naruto. "If you see anyone wearing the same uniform as I am," she began, "don't make eye contact. Surely, you will recognize some of them."

Naruto wasn't entirely sure what Natarii meant. Her words rung in his mind: _Surely, you will recognize some of them_. He was dying to ask why, but figured it would be best to keep quiet. Overwhelmed with his new surroundings, he disregarded it for the time being and continued to follow Natarii.

"Suroun-San!"

Natarii turned her head in the direction of the voice calling her name. There were two girls walking over to her. They wore the same uniform. One of them had light brown hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Bangs covered her eyebrows. Her eyes had a purplish sparkle to them. The other girl had short black hair and pale skin. Her eyes were a bright blue.

"Miki-San," Natarii said, looking at the girl with brown hair. "Kanare-San." Natarii looked at the girl with black hair. "Am I right?"

Miki nudged Kanare. "Did you hear that? She knows our names!" she chirped excitedly.

Kanare nodded happily. "Yeah, that's right!"

Natarii smiled. "I'm glad. That would have been rather embarrassing if I called you by the wrong name."

Naruto stood behind Natarii, watching as she interacted with the girls. It was strange to him. Natarii seemed hesitant. Nervous.

"It would've been no trouble at all! I'm so glad you're coming back to school today!" Miki exclaimed. "Things were really hard while you were absent. Are you going to hold a tutoring session today?"

"My schedule may not allow me, but if the curriculum requires it, I may be able to find some time," Natarii replied.

"That's great!" Kanare exclaimed. "You're so helpful, Suroun-San!" She noticed Natarii's crutches. "Say, why were you absent for so long anyway?"

"I got into a bit of an entanglement," Natarii said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "It's quite embarrassing. I fell down the stairwell at the library."

The two girls' eyes widened. "Are you all right?!" They exclaimed in unison.

"I'm all right," Natarii replied.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Kanare asked.

Natarii shook her head and pointed to Naruto. "I have help."

Miki's eyes widened. "Is that your boyfriend?" She asked hopefully.

Naruto felt his face heat up. He opened his mouth to reply.

"No, he is not. He is simply a mere acquaintance." Natarii spoke before Naruto had the chance to say anything. She didn't think anything of Miki's comment.

The two girls' expressions softened as they nodded. "Well, I hope your injury feels better," Kanare said.

"Yeah. Feel better soon! Let us know if you're available for tutoring!" With that, Miki and Kanare walked away.

Natarii sighed and slouched her shoulders. "It's always the same..."

"What is?" Naruto asked, following Natarii as she started walking again.

"Nothing." She looked around the area. "Remember, don't make eye contact."

"Why not? Is there something bad?"

"Just don't."

Naruto wasn't satisfied with Natarii's vague answer. If there was something she didn't want him to know, she usually wouldn't tell him. Naruto was going to have to pry the information out of her in a different way.

Natarii stood before a large flight of concrete steps that would bring her out of the depths of the train station. "I'll take the ramp," she mumbled to herself, making her way over to the concrete ramp that was to the right of the stairs. She walked up the ramp, the morning sun gradually getting brighter.

Naruto continued to follow. He looked around the new atmosphere with wide eyes. It was an average suburban town. They were surrounded by small shops and bakeries. In the distance were sky scrapers from the bigger, more urban side of town. Small black birds perched themselves upon tall telephone poles that carried the power lines. There were a few cars in the street, but the majority of the people walked or rode bicycles.

Natarii stepped to the side of the staircase, ensuring she wouldn't be in anyone's way. She reached into her school bag and pulled out an elongated, rectangular wallet, she opened it and pulled out two thousand yen. She held it out to Naruto.

Naruto stared at the money. "What's this for?"

"Keep yourself occupied. I can go alone from here."

"I can't let you do that."

"It's two blocks over!"

"And someone could still show up in that time you're alone."

Natarii found herself at a loss. She huffed a breath of frustration. "Fine. You win this time. Just make sure you don't loiter around the school campus. I don't want people to get the wrong idea." She put the money in Naruto's hands. "Use it on something."

Naruto nodded, trying to hid his inner happiness that Natarii was willing to provide some form of entertainment for him.

Natarii stepped forward, ready to continue the long walk.

* * *

It was dark. The caverns were chilled. A small breeze whistled through the small crevasses in the rocks. There was a clearing. Along the back cavern wall was a statue carved out of the rock. A pair of forearms came out of the ground, it's hands opened to the sky as if the face of the owner was about to hide their face and sob their sorrows away. There was a pair of handcuffs around the wrists. The face of the statue was distorted. There was an opening for the mouth, and in-between its clenched teeth was a scroll. It had nine eyes, one in the center with two sets of squares that each contained four eyes. All the eyes were shut.

Eight members stood, spread out among the fingers of the statue. Some were physically present, others looked like hazy, shaken holograms. They all wore the same uniform - the cloak with blood red clouds.

All was silent until the leader spoke. He was present by way of the hologram. His face was hidden by the positioning of his cloak, but his eyes could be seen clearly. They had a purplish tint to them and three sets of rings that surrounded the pupil like ripples in water. "Deidara." His deep voice rang throughout the room.

Deidara, who stood by flesh, turned his head to the speaker. He was ready to be bragged on, for he executed the girl and the jinchuuriki so beautifully and excellently.

"You failed."

Deidara flinched and his eyes grew wide. "What did you just say?!" He shot at the leader. "This artist does not fail, un! I made sure I killed her!"

"Gah, always full of himself," one of the other members, who was also a hologram said, putting the tips of his fingers on his forehead in frustration. His stature was quite high and his build was strong. His hair was a shade of grayish-white and combed back neatly. "You should let me take care of the job, Leader-Sama," he pulled out a scythe and propped it on his shoulder. "I'd get it done."

"Who's full of themselves now, Hidan?!" Deidara snapped.

Tobi, who was on the finger next to Deidara's right, put a finger up to where his mouth should be. "I told you we should've looked for dead bodies!"

"Shut up, Tobi! Un!" Deidara was fuming.

"Quiet!" the leader exclaimed. Everyone immediately shut up. The leader's eyes scanned the room. Hidan put his scythe away, and Deidara looked ticked. "Someone else should go," the leader continued. "The ones recommended by _him._"

The Akatsuki members stood in silence. It was not often the leader would mention _him_.

"You know who you are," the leader finished.

Deidara grunted with frustration. "I could do a better job."

"But you didn't because you didn't kill her!" Tobi chimed.

"Tobi! You little-" Deidara was cut off.

"We'll get on it right away," a deep voice from the other side of the room said.

Deidara quickly turned his head to see who it was, but their holograms already disappeared.

* * *

_Well, that's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, March 30!_

_Next is: "Chapter 32: School Day!" As Natarii deals with the issues of her social awkwardness, she continues to figure out how to uncover the secrets of the seal!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	32. Chapter 32: School Day

_Quick note! _

_Sorry there's been little development lately. __It's like my friend says: "There's always calm after the storm."_ I don't want to rush into the next major plot development because I feel like there are many unexplained things that I need to take care of first. BUT! Though I can't say for sure, I believe this series of developmental/set-up chapters is almost over. Thanks for your patience!

* * *

Chapter 32: School Day

Natarii stared out the large window that was along the wall to her right. The morning sky was bright, and all was silent. Natarii was the only one in the library, surrounded by thick textbooks and tall shelves. She looked back at the shelves, wondering where she should look. She already read almost every book in there. Regardless, she stood up from her seat, ready to walk back through the shelves and explore. But she was stopped by the swishing of the door.

"U-um...S-Suroun-san?"

Natarii turned toward the door and saw a short, baby-faced boy with dark brown hair who sounded as if he hadn't hit puberty yet. Natarii turned her head away stubbornly and greeted him the same way she did all boys. "If you've come to confess your love for me, please get out. I'm not interested." It never failed to amuse her when she saw groups of guys immediately leave the room. However, this boy stayed. He trembled nervously.

"U-um," he stuttered.

"Let me guess," Natarii continued. "Hokaru Takenori? First year, Class A?" She paused for a moment. "Your statistics say that you are...twelfth in your class. Am I right?"

The boy stared at Natarii as if she was crazy. "Um...yeah. How'd you know?"

"When it comes to being cooped up in solitude, you come to be quite the observer," Natarii replied. "Now, if you're not here to confess your love for me, why are you here?"

"Oh! Um...S-Sensei told me to come and...find you."

Natarii relaxed a bit, relieved that the boy wasn't there to humiliate her with some form of confession. "Oh. Why didn't you say so?" She grabbed her crutches and made her way toward Takenori. "What subject?" she asked.

"Pre-Calculus," Takenori answered.

Information from past textbooks Natarii read flashed through her mind. She remembered everything. "All right," she said. "Fair enough." Natarii made her way past Takenori. She went down the hallway without him.

"W-wait!" Takenori clumsily ran after her, catching up within a few seconds. He then followed her in silence.

The silence was a bit much for Natarii. She found herself flashing glances toward the windows and as far behind as she could. For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed by someone other than Takenori. But there were signs of no one. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Natarii continued to make her way down the hall. At the very end was Class A. Natarii took hold of the door to her old classroom and slid it open.

Everyone in the room stared at Natarii, surprise written all over their faces. There was a group of guys in the back corner by the window who tried to get her attention, but the teacher snapped at them before she could even notice.

"Glad you could come, Suroun-san," the teacher greeted. "We weren't interrupting your studies, were we?"

Natarii shook her head with a smile. "Not at all. I'm glad I can help." She made her way to the dusty chalkboard and set her crutches against the wall. She stood on her good foot. "What is it you need me to do?"

"Trigonometric identities," the teacher replied. "They're having trouble understanding them."

Natarii nodded and took a piece of chalk. She began writing on the board and explaining things.

* * *

Naruto stared into Class A through the window as he sat, hidden, in one of the campus trees. He was bored out of his mind, and he was saving the money Natarii gave him for when he was _really_ beyond bored - more so than he already was.

He watched as Natarii wrote on the chalk board. Her mouth was moving, so he assumed she was explaining something. There was confusion written on the students' faces. As soon as Natarii stopped writing and finished talking, the students' faces lit up as if they understood perfectly. They applauded, and Natarii took hold of her crutches and walked toward the door, not even acknowledging the fact that the students were clapping for her. When she got to the door, she turned around and bowed, said something, and finally exited the room.

It was then Naruto realized Natarii was acting rather odd. If he was clapping for her, she would've started bowing and showing off, saying things like, "Look at this genius!" No one in the classroom seemed to notice. Did she act like this every day? Where were her friends?

He wanted to follow her. He could either find another tree and risk getting caught, or he could infiltrate the school and possibly find her. Either way, Natarii would probably blow up on him. But he wasn't going to leave the school campus without a thought. The Akatsuki could show up at the school and harm the hundreds of people inside if he wasn't around. Maybe it was better to stay outside. Boring, but better.

* * *

It was two hours after school ended. The sun was beginning to lower into the horizon and the air was starting to cool. The school's athletic teams were finishing up practice, and the club meetings were finished.

Natarii was still in the same library, staring at obscure doodles she made on the double-sided chalkboard in front of her. There were nine figures, each one representing a different person. There was a book that represented herself, a bowl of ramen that represented Naruto, a nine-tailed fox to resemble the Kyuubi, the kanji symbol for "fire" to represent Tsunade, a frog to represent Jiraya, the swirl mask to represent Tobi, the clay bird to represent Deidara, a cup of tea to represent her mom, and a piece of the Keimusho Seal to represent her dad. She drew lines and arrows in-between the pictures to show connections and links. When she was finished, she stood back and looked at it closely. At this point, it looked like a jumbled mess. Nothing stood out. "Maybe I should switch the order around a bit," Natarii thought outloud.

"Excuse me," a voice from the doorway said.

Natarii turned her head and flipped the chalkboard so her doodles would be hidden. There was a girl standing there. "Yes?" Natarii responded.

The girl walked shyly into the room. Her long brown hair was pulled back in pigtails, tied by two blue ribbons. "The teachers wanted me to tell you that they're getting ready to close up for the day. All the sports teams are leaving too, you see."

"Oh," Natarii made her way over to one of the wood tables in the room. "I see." She grabbed her school bag. "I lost track of time. I'm sorry. I'll leave right away."

The school girl nodded and walked toward the window. She stared out into the distance for a while as Natarii gathered the rest of her things. It was obvious she was waiting for her to leave. "By any chance..." the girl began. Natarii stopped what she was doing and looked up. "Do you know that boy? I can't tell if he's waiting for someone or if he's some sort of stalker."

"Boy?" Natarii repeated. She took a firm hold on her crutches and made her way to the window. Sure enough, Naruto was standing by the main entrance of the campus, leaning against the stone post. "That idiot," she mumbled.

"What'd you say?" the girl asked.

"I did not say anything," Natarii replied. She adjusted her grip on her bag and made her way for the door. "Thank you for coming to get me. If you hadn't, I would most likely be here all night." She flashed a smile.

"S-sure. No problem." The girl followed Natarii out the door. She then turned back around and locked the library door.

Natarii continued down the hallway alone. She was on the second floor of the building. Since there was no elevator, she had to manage the stairs. When she approached the staircase, Natarii took both of her crutches and placed them securely under her right arm. Using the railing and her good foot, Natarii carefully hopped down each step.

At the bottom of the staircase were the shoe lockers. Natarii put her crutches under her arms properly and made her way to her own locker. She twisted the combination lock to the first number, then the second, and finally the third. Slowly, she opened it.

_WHOOSH!_

A humongous pile of envelopes came tumbling out, nearly pummeling Natarii. She stared, her eyes narrowed with fury, at the letters. She picked one up and examined it. There were hearts all over it and every other one beneath her feet. Natarii sighed with frustration. It was the same as any other day. Except she couldn't bend over to pick up the letters. "They must enjoy humiliating me," Natarii mumbled to herself. She took her shoes out of her locker and carefully put them on in place of her school shoes. While she was on the floor she picked up the mass of letters. Once she stood up, she threw the letters away, not even caring about what they said. She remembered telling every guy in the school she was not interested in them, especially since the majority of them caused hardship and trouble to her in the past.

Moving along, Natarii walked out the main door. A gust of wind blew as soon as Natarii came out the door. The sky was a vibrant shade of orange. The leaves rustled in rhythm with the breeze.

Natarii looked ahead and saw Naruto, still leaning against the stone post. He was staring at the ground. Natarii opened her mouth to call out his name, but refrained, for she knew she had to pretend she didn't know him. Someone could be watching.

She approached Naruto, but didn't stop walking. As she passed Naruto, she muttered the words, "Wait thirty seconds and then follow."

Naruto looked up, looking for Natarii. She was already walking down the sidewalk. Not questioning her demands, he figured she had a plan. Naruto started counting slowly to thirty in his head. When the time was up, he left the post and followed Natarii's path.

Natarii waited at the end of the sidewalk by the corner of the block. She looked back at Naruto with a slight smile. "Sorry about that," she said as he walked up to her.

"What was the point of waiting thirty seconds?" he asked.

"I didn't want anyone to notice me walking off with someone. If they noticed, they'd get the wrong idea and start questioning me. I'd just rather not get involved with them."

"'Them' meaning the other people at your school, right?" Naruto remembered the way she acted in the classroom. He was beginning to understand why she acted the way she did.

Natarii nodded, her body tensing. "You can understand that, right?"

"I think. Considering what they used to do to you."

Natarii nodded. She turned to continue down the sidewalk, wanting to avoid the subject. "You think there's time to go to the library?"

Naruto followed. "Wouldn't your mom flip out if you came home after dark?"

Natarii continued walking, Naruto now next to her. "Point taken," she replied. "After what just happened, she'll probably spazz out on me for being home at dusk since she doesn't know I'm with you." Natarii shook her head. "Gah, how could I be so stupid? How can I overlook something like that?"

"She can get over it."

Natarii stopped and stared up at Naruto with wide eyes and her jaw dropped open. The corner of one side of her mouth was raised.

"If you keep you're mouth open like that, you're gonna let bugs in," Naruto said.

Natarii instantly closed her mouth. "That's gross! You know I hate bugs!"

Naruto laughed and continued walking. "That's why I said it."

"Meanie!" Natarii sped up and followed him.

The train station was around the corner. So far, things were looking bright. Nothing changed. Hopefully, it would stay that way.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, April 6! _

_Next is: "Chapter 33: A Dream for the Past!" Just what exactly is Natarii holding onto? What is it about her that makes her so shy and introverted?_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	33. Chapter 33: A Dream for the Past

Chapter 33: A Dream for the Past

_*POV CHANGE!*_

Silence. That cruel silence. Ever since that day...I've hated it.

"Oni-chan?" The already weak hold on my hand loosened. That warm, reassuring hand was now cold - so cold it chilled my bones. I slowly let go. The hand fell, making a thump on the side of the wood bed frame. "Oni-chan!" My screams were not enough to save him. My feelings were not enough to save him. Why did I have to be home alone? Why did Mom and Dad have to work, especially at a time like this? I was young and naive. I didn't know what to do.

Oni-chan was never completely well. His immune system was weak. His body was weak. Two weeks ago, he came down with a high fever and pneumonia I remember it well. I was excited for my birthday. My sixth birthday. And that day was now today. Oni-chan had given me my very own mechanical pencil. It was pink and had kittens on it. He knew I wanted to be a writer. I held that pencil tightly in my small hand as tears formed at the corners of my eyes.

"ONI-CHAN!" I shrieked. "ONI-CHAN WAKE UP!" My voice cracked, and my bloody shrieks turned to a pitiful sob. "ONI-CHAN! DON'T LEAVE ME! I HAVE TO WRITE A BOOK FOR YOU!" I flung myself onto his dead body and sobbed on him. His skin had gone completely pale. "NO!" I continuously screamed for hours until my parents came home. By then, my voice was gone and my tear glands were completely dry. I cried, but shed no tears. I screamed, but no noise came out.

At the funeral, I saw the rest of my family. My grandparents shunned me. Since I was the only one home at the time of Oni-chan's death, I was the one who was blamed. I knew from the beginning they loved Oni-chan more than they loved me. But it hurt more when they came straight to my face and said it. I was scolded for "letting my brother die." I can still feel the sting - the sting from their sharp hands as they would slap my small, childish face.

That's when I told them. "I'm going to study hard and become smart! I'm going to learn how to do so many things you are going to _have to_ be proud of me!" That's how my six-year old mind sought approval. It was also the only time I spoke for a span of exactly two months.

* * *

"Aw, look she's crying!"

"You're stupid brother's not gonna ever stop us again!"

"Yeah! He's DEAD!"

I remember them all well. The three boys. Their mocking faces. Their grimy hands that would persistently shove my small body to the ground. I cried all the time. I didn't have the strength to fight back. No one was going to come to my rescue.

"Look at her stupid face! It looks exactly like her stupid brother's!" The boys came closer to me. They were ready to beat me. I shut my eyes tight.

There was a rustle in the grass, like someone was running. Then, I heard slapping and punching. Were the boys were beating each other up? No, they weren't. But they weren't beating me up. What was happening? I slowly opened my eyes.

There was another boy standing in front of me. He took the blows from the bullies and even threw a few himself. "Leave her alone! Only a bunch of sissies would pick on a little girl!"

Before long, the bullies ran off. I stared up at the boy with wide, curious, admiring eyes. I had never seen him before. He turned around to face me, his large, bright blue eyes staring straight into mine. "Are you okay?" He asked.

I flinched. I didn't say a word. I backed away slowly.

"Hey," he said softly. "I'm not gonna be mean to you like they did. I'm not gonna be mean to you at all." He kneeled, still in front of me, so he would be at my eye level. "What's your name?"

I still didn't say anything.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Now you say your name."

I was hesitant. I opened my mouth. "S-Suroun Natarii. S-Spelled with three k-katakana characters." My speech was soft and hard to understand. But those were the first words I said in months.

* * *

_*Original POV*_

Natarii quickly shot her eyes open. She looked around the room. She was in her bed. She was in her room surrounded by her books and papers. Her crutches leaned against the wall out of the way.

_What kind of dream was that?_ She thought to herself. _Of all times...why does it come up now?_

Natarii sat up, rubbing her eyes. She looked around the room, knowing she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again anytime soon. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was still two hours before she had to wake up. Natarii was about to turn back around, but her eyes fell on the kitten pencil. It was a beautiful pencil. Despite the fact that she had the pencil for nearly ten years, it looked brand new. Natarii took hold of it and stood up on her good foot. She hopped out of the room, leaving her crutches behind. She made her way up the basement stairs.

Quietly, she opened the door that lead to the main floor of the house. It creaked slightly. Natarii looked to her left and saw the small hallway. She made her way to a closed door - a door that was to never be opened.

"Natarii?"

Natarii turned around, only to see her mom.

"Natarii, why are you awake at this hour? I heard the door creak. Are you all right?"

Natarii nodded. "I had a bad dream," she replied with a whisper. She reached for the door knob.

Makina quickly took hold of Natarii's wrist. "Don't go in there."

"Why not?"

"Just don't."

"I need to."

"You can't."

"I was blamed for it. I should be allowed inside." Natarii stared at her mother sternly.

Makina hesitated but eventually let go of Natarii. "Do as you wish," she said. She turned around and disappeared into the darkness of her room.

Natarii reached once again for the door knob. Slowly, she turned it. The door was opened just enough for her to squeeze inside on her single foot. She closed the door behind her. Natarii looked around the room. It had been years since she went inside. The queen sized bed remained in the center of the room along the wall. The blankets were folded neatly and tucked into the sides underneath the mattress. There was a bookshelf that was filled with multiple books to the right of the room. To the left, there was an empty closet. Next to her, there was a dresser that was cleared and empty. The walls were bare. Natarii slowly hopped forward and sat down on the bed. She moved to the center of the covers and lay her head down. She pulled her legs up toward her chest and hugged them, rolling onto her side. Everything had been bottled up for so long. Natarii sniffled. She wiped her eyes, trying to contain her feelings, but it didn't do any good. Large tears formed around her eyes, and she cried silently.

Silence. That cruel silence. Ever since that day...Natarii hated it.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, April 18!_

_Next is: "Chapter 34: The Next Objective!" Natarii and Naruto come up with a plan that may help them find the answer they've been looking for!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	34. Chapter 34: The Next Objective

Chapter 34: The Next Objective

Natarii sat in the school library, staring at her chalkboard doodles from one of the wooden tables. She was tired. She was bored. Her mind was lost. She couldn't focus. Earlier that morning, on her way to school, she told Naruto about the dream she had. He thought it was strange as well.

Natarii stood up from her seat and made her way to the chalkboard. She picked up a dusty piece of chalk and started to draw. But it turned out to only be a few lines before she dropped the chalk.

"Suroun-San." A teacher stood in the doorway of the room.

Natarii didn't notice. She picked up the piece of chalk and began to draw more lines. But she soon dropped it again.

The teacher walked into the room. "Suroun-San, are you all right? Do you need to see the nurse?"

Natarii shook her head and picked up the chalk. She pressed it against the chalkboard. It was only a matter of time before she let it loose once again.

"I think you need to take a rest," the teacher said. "Why don't you call it a day?"

"I cannot do that," Natarii replied.

"Why not? It's obvious you are not feeling well today."

"I will let everyone down."

The teacher looked at Natarii strangely. "What do you mean by that?"

Natarii paused for a moment, only now realizing what she had just said. She shook her head to straighten out her thoughts. "It means nothing," she replied. "I will go home since you suggest it." Natarii turned to the table and collected her scattered papers to a neat stack. She tucked them into her school bag. Her school bag was then strapped across her back. "I will be leaving," Natarii told the teacher. "Thank you." She bowed to the best of her ability with the crutches. Then, she left the room.

* * *

Natarii sat on the train, Naruto in the seat facing her as it had been since the previous morning. She stared out the window. It was clear that she was thinking and being torn apart by something. There were a few other people in the car, but they were busy doing other things whether it was reading or working or listening to music. Natarii reached into her school bag and pulled out the large book from the Konoha library. She held it up. "Let's go to the library," she said to Naruto, attempting to smile.

Naruto gave Natarii a strange look. "I thought you said you were sick."

"I never said that. I said I didn't feel well. I am not well enough to the point where I can focus at school. I need to be alone in solitude where no one can bother me."

Naruto still wasn't convinced.

"Please?" Natarii begged. "I want to find out more about the seal." She pointed to the book. "This isn't going to cut it."

"What's wrong with it? Not enough info?"

"Hm..." Natarii thought. "More like...it contains false information."

Naruto's eyes widened a bit.

"I want to see if I can search a little deeper for the right things. Like secret scrolls or something."

Naruto smirked. "Secret? Or forbidden?"

"Hm...both!" Natarii's smile was genuine this time.

"Cool. I know where to find both."

Natarii's face lit up. It was as if she hadn't been sad at all. "Do you really?!"

"Of course I do. I used to get in a bunch of trouble stealing those things. I'm a pro at it. With your genius and my experience it'd probably be pretty easy to get our hands on them."

Natarii reached over and slapped his knee. "That's bad!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "But brilliant."

"It's been years since I last went there, but I'm pretty sure I still remember how to get in."

"Either way," Natarii continued, face beaming with excitement, "we can find a way in. This might be the best chance we have!" She stood carefully from her seat on her good foot and turned so she could sit next to Naruto. As soon as she sat, she hugged him. "Thank you for helping me!"

Naruto's eyes widened a bit and his cheeks turned bright red. "Uh...it's nothing really."

"What's this I hear?" Natarii asked, cupping her hand by her ear. "Being modest now, are we? How bold of you!" She teased.

"Ha ha. You're hilarious," Naruto sarcastically replied.

Natarii chuckled and moved back to her original seat. She looked out the window, eyes filled with the excitement for adventure.

Naruto was curious about why she left school, depressed. But now that she was happy as can be, he didn't want to ruin it. He saved the question for a different time.

* * *

Natarii walked into the Konoha library, still on her crutches, with the large book tucked securely beneath her arm. She glanced over to the desk, noticing the same man as when she snuck out of the hospital. She made her way over to him, holding the book up. "I brought it back," she told him with a smile.

The man just stared at her.

"I'm going to put it back where it belongs now," Natarii finished. She turned away and headed toward the back of the library. When she made it to the aisle she spent the night in, she searched the shelves for the empty place where the book belonged. Sure enough, it was there. Natarii slid the large book back into its proper place. Then, she turned to go back outside. Naruto was waiting for her.

Natarii exited the building. She turned to Naruto, who had been waiting outside the door. "Ok. I'm done."

"That didn't take nearly as long as I expected."

"I was sparing your sanity. You can thank me later." She made her way down the steps.

Naruto followed her, sliding his hands into his pockets. He watched Natarii as she slowly, and clumsily, moved along. "When do you get off those things?" he randomly asked.

"They're called crutches," Natarii said, looking back at him over her shoulder.

"Thing, crutches, you know what I mean. Just answer my question."

"Not for another week or so," Natarii replied. She continued walking. "Why do you ask?"

Naruto shrugged. "Just wondering. We can't do 'you know what' until you get them off."

_"You know what?"_ Natarii repeated in her mind. It didn't take long for her to figure out what Naruto was referring to. The break in. "Right," she answered as if she didn't have to think about it. "Man, this is going to kill me." She adjusted her crutches to a more comfortable position. "I need that information."

"But it's impossible to break into a guarded building like that."

"I know that. But my patience it wearing thin." Natarii sighed. "I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it."

"Yeah," Naruto remarked.

"Hey! You're one to talk! It's not like you're any better at holding in your inner anxiety!"

"Really? I never noticed."

"You're delusional!" Natarii exclaimed, stifling a laugh, followed by a slight coughing spasm.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, giving Natarii a concerned look.

"I'm fine. I just -" she continued to cough. "Need to sit down." Natarii sat on a wood bench that was placed conveniently nearby. She propped her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her palms.

Naruto continued to stand, unsure of what to do. He watched Natarii for a moment, then thought of an idea. "I'll be back."

"'Kaaaaay." Natarii watched him as he walked away. When he was gone, the depression from the beginning of her day returned.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, April 20! _

_Next is: "Chapter 35: Free!" Natarii finally gets off her crutches! Will she be able to move the way she used to?_

_Quick Update: All right! So, as you may have noticed, the transitional chapters are finally starting to develop into some major event. But that is all I can say about that. Next, I mentioned a possible manga adaptation. Since I was on spring break this week, I started to work on a name (or storyboard) for the first chapter! I am pretty serious about this becoming a manga. Although the construction of it will not be overnight. It will take a long time. I probably won't even start the official manuscript until summer vacation. _

_Thanks for reading this far! You guys are awesome! _

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	35. Chapter 35: Free

Chapter 35: Free

Natarii gently placed her right foot on the cold floor. Nothing. No pain. A huge smile crept across her face. Her ankle was healed.

"Looks like we can get you off those crutches," a nurse said as she flipped through a packet of papers that was attached to a clipboard.

Natarii threw her right fist into the air. "Yes!" She exclaimed.

"How's that shoulder?" The nurse asked.

Natarii lowered her arm and took hold of her shoulder. "It hurts occasionally. Mainly when I try to move it." She took off her jacket. "It still looks disgusting too. I don't like looking at it." She rolled up her sleeve, only to reveal the grotesque, distorted, crusty, scabby injury that was left by the Kyuubi.

The nurse nodded. "That's an injury that will take a long time to heal." She continued to flip through the pages. "Hm..." The look on the nurse's face became bitter. "I don't know if you'lll want to hear this."

Natarii's eyes widened with curiosity. "Please do share."

The nurse hesitated. "According to your records and no major signs of improvement ...your shoulder may not heal completely."

Natarii's heart sank. She was unsure of what to think. "Say what? I'll never be able to move it the way I used to?"

The nurse nodded. "I'm sorry. Bijuu injuries are pretty serious to begin with, but yours...part of me wonders how it even got that bad."

Natarii sat down on the bed behind her. She involuntarily put her hand on her shoulder, trying to not catch a glimpse of how disgusting it looked.

"Don't worry. We'll keep an eye on it," the nurse said. "You're free to go whenever."

Natarii nodded. "Thank you." She put her jacket back on.

"You should consider taking your jacket off in such warm weather," the nurse said. "Don't overheat yourself."

"It's to hide my shoulder," Natarii replied. "I won't overheat myself." She stood up and walked slowly to the door. "Thanks again." She opened it and left the room.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Naruto had been waiting outside the hospital. He started following Natarii as she passed him. "Good news? Bad news?"

She remained silent, but continued walking.

"Did something happen?"

"I'm debating whether I should share with you or not," Natarii replied softly.

Naruto smirked. "Now you have to tell me. 'Cause that makes me wanna know even more."

"I don't think so." Natarii stopped. It took Naruto a moment to realize she stopped, then he stopped as well. Natarii looked around, ensuring that no one else was watching. When she noticed the coast was clear, she slipped off her jacket and rolled up her left short sleeve. Her shoulder injury was in clear sight.

Naruto's eyes widened, noticing its condition hadn't improved. He winced at the grossness of it. Guilt swept over him.

Natarii hesitated before she spoke. "They said...they said it probably won't heal completely."

Naruto remained silent. His eyes were focused on her injury. But he heard her words.

Natarii quickly rolled her sleeve down and put her jacket back on. "B-but so what if I can't move it as easily as I used to? So what if I have a handicap?" She clenched her fists tightly together. "It's just another reason to get stronger, right? I'm done running."

Naruto stared at Natarii blankly. He wasn't surprised that she said such a thing, but for some reason, he wasn't expecting it. He smiled and nodded. "Right."

Natarii beamed in return. "Can we resume my training then?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "That'd probably be smart...since we're plotting a break-in and all."

"Yes!" Natarii exclaimed with satisfaction.

"Did someone say 'training?!'"

Natarii and Naruto turned abruptly to see who called out. "Bushy Brows!" They exclaimed, surprised, in unison.

"Yes!" Lee exclaimed, standing in a soldier-like position with his right hand saluted at his forehead. "It is I! Rock Lee! The ninja who can't use Ninjutsu!"

"I never thought I'd be happy to see this guy," Natarii mumbled.

Lee's eyes widened with admiration. "Really?!" He exclaimed, invading Natarii's personal space. "You're happy to see me?!"

"Don't make me regret it!" Natarii snapped.

Lee backed away. "Very well. I will respect your wishes. For they are precious to me!"

Natarii slapped her face against her palm. "L-let's just get to the point. I need more of your Taijutsu training."

Lee sniffed, holding back tears. "Sh-she needs me!"

Natarii slapped Lee upside the head. "Pull yourself together!" _And stop treating me the same way everyone else does! _She finished in her mind.

"Right!" Lee acted as if the slight assault had no effect in him. "We will resume your training this instant!"

"Right now?" Natarii and Naruto asked in unison, both of them confused. Natarii looked at the sky, at the setting sun.

"You're kidding, right?" She asked.

"No. The only way to get stronger is to -" Lee starting doing a rapid set of squats. "Keep-" The intensity of the squats increased. "Moving!"

"But my mom will get concerned if I come home too late."

Lee stopped moving, stood up straight, and put a finger on his chin. "Hm. That's a problem. How about a quick spar then?"

"You'd kill her!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Are my skills that good?!" Let's eyes widened with excitement. "Have I gotten that much stronger in only a matter of weeks?!"

"No. Your enthusiasm would kill her."

"H-how about we just start tomorrow?" Natarii stuttered. "Then we can all be happy."

Lee thought for a moment. "Hm...Very well." He bowed. "I will do anything that will accommodate your wishes, Natarii-San."

Natarii rolled her eyes. "Right..." She turned away from Lee. "I should probably get back home before my mom starts spazzing."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "She's scary when she starts spazzing..."

"You don't even have to live with her!" Natarii exclaimed with a chuckle. She started walking to the main gate, looking over her shoulder and waving to Lee. "See you tomorrow, Bushy Brows! I'll be ready to work hard!"

Lee's cheeks flushed with pink. "B-bye, Natarii-San!"

Natarii waved one last time, then turned around and continued walking.

Naruto quickly turned around and ran after Natarii. She was already way ahead of him. "Wait up!"

Natarii looked back at Naruto and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. She kept walking.

"Geez, you're walking so much faster than usual," Naruto mumbled.

"It feels good to be on two feet again," Natarii replied with a smile. "Say, can you bring Bushy Brows with you tomorrow?"

"Eh? Why?"

"So we can resume my training."

Naruto was confused. "You want to do it at your school?"

"Not at my school, but in the city. There are some places that could help. I was just thinking about it. My mom would be less suspicious if I stayed in town a few extra hours than if I came home to put my stuff down and leave again for Konoha."

Naruto thought for a moment, comprehending what Natarii just told him. "I think that makes sense..."

"It makes perfect sense," Natarii said. "Why else would I have suggested it?"

"Good point."

Natarii continued. "Just make sure he doesn't...well...stand out. He needs to blend in as well as you have. Which is surprisingly well."

Naruto smiled with a sense of victory. "Thank you - wait!" He exclaimed, only now fully processing what Natarii said. "Surprisingly well?! What's that suppose to mean?"

"Hm...you should be able to figure that one out. It's not too hard."

Naruto's eye twitched. "You're making fun of me," he said, eyes narrowed.

"Really? Am I?" Natarii asked as if she had no clue what he was talking about.

Naruto raised his voice and pointed to Natarii. "You just-"

"Calm youself, I'm kidding." Natarii moved the hand that was pointing to her. "You're too easy to mess with, you know that?"

Naruto huffed a breath. "Sure..."

Natarii chuckled as she kept walking. By this time, the town was near. She turned to Naruto. "I can go from here."

"You sure? I dunno if I should leave you alone or not."

"It's a ten minute walk. I think I'll be fine."

Naruto thought for a moment. He gave in. "Fine. I'll be back with Bushy Brows tomorrow."

Natarii smiled and nodded. "All right. See you then!" She continued to walk toward the town. Before long, she was out of Naruto's line of sight.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! I hate to say this, but there will be no new chapter next week. I'm going on a trip, so I will have little time to do editing and posting. Plus, I won't have internet access. I'm sorry, guys! So, the next chapter will be posted on Saturday, May 4! I hope you guys wait for me!_

_Next is: "Chapter 36: Trust!" As Naruto and Lee wait outside Natarii's school in hiding, they decide to go against her orders and infiltrate the school! What chaos could possibly occur?_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja5_


	36. Chapter 36: Trust

_I'm back! Sorry for the extra wait! Thanks for waiting for me! _

_This chapter is a little different than the ones before. It's a bit longer, and it takes another step into Natarii's insecurities. I had fun writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it! _

_At the end of this chapter, I have a special announcement! See you there! =D _

* * *

Chapter 36: Trust

"Say, Naruto-kun...what is this place?" Lee looked around the school campus from the heights of the tree he was hiding in. He stared at the large bell tower in the center of the land and the massive, elegant school building surrounding it. The bricks were a mix of dark red and brown, and despite the school's age, it looked brand new.

"Does Natarii-san go here every day?" Lee asked, adjusting the zipper of his green jacket that was given to him to help him blend in.

"Yeah, this is her school apparently." Naruto replied, staring out in the same direction as Lee.

"So it's like the Academy for normal people..." Lee jumped down from the tree.

"Uh...yeah," Naruto remarked, his eyes following Lee. "What're you doing?!"

"I wanna check it out!" Lee exclaimed with energy. "I think know a way to get in!"

Naruto thought about it for a moment. He knew it was a bad idea, but that wasn't going to stop him. "I was actually wondering what it was like on the inside," he mumbled to himself. He jumped down from the tree. "I'm in."

Lee slipped on a pair of fake glasses with large frames. "Let's go!"

"Where'd you get those?"

"Oh right!" Lee pulled out another pair. "I have some for you too. They make you look smart."

"That's not the point!" Naruto paused for a second. "Eh, what the heck." He took the glasses from Lee and put them on. "Now what?"

Lee took a backpack off his back and set it on the ground. He crouched and dug through its contents. He pulled out some form of clothing and threw it at Naruto.

Naruto looked at the clothes and his eyes widened. It was the boy's uniform of Natarii's school. "How'd you get your hands on this?"

Lee was already starting to change. "I have my ways!"

"Don't just strip in front of me!" Naruto exclaimed, quickly turning around.

"It's on a matter of business!"

"I don't care!"

Lee ignored Naruto's remark and slid his arms into the white collared shirt, buttoned it up, and tucked it into the brown uniform pants. Then, he put the red tie around his neck, staring at it cluelessly. "Say, Naruto-kun. Do you know how to tie a tie?"

"What makes you think I'd know?!" Naruto shouted as he started to change.

Lee stared at the tie. "What would Gai-sensei do in a situation like this?"

Naruto buttoned the shirt and left it untucked. "Bushier Brow-sensei probably already knows how to tie one."

Lee closed his eyes and envisioned Gai-sensei. After a few moments of saying nothing, he sharply opened his eyes with an enthusiastic shout. "I got it!" He quickly tied the tie around his neck. It was perfect.

Naruto stared at Lee with wide, confused eyes. He took hold of his own tie and put it around his neck, looking at the ends, wondering how Lee did it.

"Need help?" Lee asked with a victorious smile.

"No. I remember how you did it." Naruto took the ends of the tie and attempted to tie them together, only resulting in a tangled mess.

"Are you sure?" Lee taunted.

Naruto continued with his attempts. "Yup." After several moments without further progression, Naruto turned to Lee. "Fine. Help me."

Lee's smile of victory returned. He walked over to Naruto and took hold of the tie and tied it. When he finished, Lee stepped back and started putting his original clothes into the backpack. He looked up at Naruto. "Put your clothes in here."

Naruto nodded and started gathering his clothes. He handed them to Lee, and Lee put them away.

"No one will know we were here," Lee said as he stood up. He made his way to a tree with a large trunk. He hid the backpack behind it. "Infiltration of Natarii's school, we are go!"

* * *

Natarii placed a piece of chalk back into the tray. "And those are the properties of the transition metals on the Periodic Table. Any questions?"

The students stared at Natarii with wide eyes of amazement. One by one, they began to applaud her.

Natarii managed a small smile. "I'm under the impression everyone understands. Is that so?"

The students nodded with relieved looks on their faces.

Natarii opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by the opening of the classroom door. A woman stood in the doorway. She wore formal business attire and her wavy auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She adjusted her glasses before she spoke. "I need to see Suroun Natarii."

Natarii turned her head to the woman. "Yes?"

"Please come with me to the main lobby." She stepped out of the room, waiting for Natarii to follow.

Natarii left the room, bowing before she exited to be respectful. She closed the door behind her after she left. "What is it you need me for?" She asked the woman. "Did I do something wrong?"

The woman shook her head. "Don't even think that for a second. We just got a pair of two unexpected transfer students is all."

"Transfer students?" Natarii repeated. She thought for a moment. She didn't remember hearing about incoming transfer students.

The woman nodded in reply. She continued to walk silently through the wide hallway. Natarii followed, feeling a bit nervous. She didn't have time to prepare for new students. She didn't know what she was supposed to say to them.

The woman led Natarii down the main stairs. Sure enough, standing in the middle of the lobby, there were two students. Immediately, she recognized them - Naruto and Lee. Frustration built up inside her. She could feel her face flushing and muscles tensing. _I should've known it was those two._ _How the heck did they even get in here?_ Natarii tried her best to hide her inner frustration. She smiled at the two boys and bowed. "Good morning," she began. "Welcome to the Kanto Academy for the Academically Elite."

Lee and Naruto bowed, trying to act as natural as possible.

"Thank you very much," Lee said once he was standing up straight again. He elbowed Naruto.

Naruto glanced at Lee with narrowed eyes. "Thanks."

The woman clasped her hands together. "Well, since you seem to have this under control, I'll let them spend the day with you. They came so suddenly we don't have any spots for them in class."

"Right," Natarii said. "I understand. I will watch over them." Her glance moved to the boys. "Come with me. I'll show you around." She turned around and made her way up the main stairs, not even turning around to check if Naruto and Lee were following her.

Lee glanced at Naruto, who seemed to follow without hesitation. Why was he hesitant? Was it the atmosphere? The noticeable extreme change in Natarii's behavior? Lee didn't know. But he followed anyway.

The three walked through the hallways in silence. The building was enormous. The hallways wound in and out of each other like a maze. After about ten to fifteen minutes of wandering, Natarii finally opened a door to a large room - the library. "Come inside," she said, still acting as if she had no clue who Lee and Naruto were.

Naruto and Lee followed Natarii into the library. It was completely silent inside. The rows of bookshelves seemed endless.

Natarii sat down at a table, motioning for the two boys to sit down as well. They sat across from her. Natarii slammed her fist on the table. "What're you two doing in here?! Are you out of your minds?!" She exclaimed, raising her voice.

"Shh." Naruto put a finger by his mouth. "This is a library," he whispered. "You're not supposed to yell."

"No one else comes in here," Natarii whispered with a mocking tone. "I can do whatever I want." The volume of her voice was back to normal. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm sorry, Natarii-san," Lee said, looking at his hands, which were folded in his lap. "I just wanted to know what this place looked like on the inside."

Natarii sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest, puffing a breath of frustration. "Is that so?" She thought about the boys' actions. "I am disappointed in you for going against my directions, but you two are older than me, so I can see why you may have disregarded them."

Naruto and Lee shot glances at each other. Neither of them thought of that. That could be their escape! Their excuse!

"Or," Natarii continued before either of them could say anything. "You two just have no common sense and disregard every order you hear. I'm right on that one."

Lee and Naruto slammed their foreheads on the library table. In sync. It was a magnificent sight.

Natarii tried to hide her inner amusement, for she knew when it came to Naruto and Lee, she had to stay firm to keep them in line. "Regardless of your actions, there is a positive side to it."

Swiftly, Naruto and Lee raised their heads from the table, again, in sync. They were itching to know this so-called "positive side."

"We can strategize," Natarii said plainly. "Figure out what to do next? Discuss my training?"

"I thought you didn't want to mention ninja stuff while we were here," Naruto responded, confused.

"This situation is a bit different. This library could be our hub. You see, if we sit around like this, talking, teachers won't suspect anything. Plus, the security system doesn't pick up sound. Only visuals. If someone's watching us from the office, they would never know what we're talking about."

"How do you know about the security system?" Lee asked.

Natarii hesitated, wondering how she should put her words. "Let's just say I have...experience with it. I didn't do anything bad, but things have happened to the point where looking at the footage off the cameras was necessary."

"That kind of stuff happens at a strict and prestigious school like this?" Lee asked, surprised.

"It happens everywhere. I personally think the school needs to select better candidates for students but-" Natarii cut herself off. "We're getting off topic! I just know!"

"I see." Lee looked around the room, wanting to take in every detail. Naruto did the same.

Natarii stood up from the table, pushing her chair in toward the table. "Well, we can't just sit here all day. Since you two got yourselves into this mess, you have to follow me around and act like you're transfer students."

Lee raised his hand as if he was waiting for a teacher to call on him. "What do transfer students act like?"

Natarii planted her face into her palm. "Clueless? Amazed at the school? Stuff like that. Except..."

Naruto urged Natarii to continue. "Except?"

"Don't make eye contact with anyone, Naruto. Make them think that you're an introvert or something."

"What's wrong with eye contact?"

"Just...just don't. I don't know any way to explain." She made her way toward the door. Looking back over her shoulder, she noticed the boys didn't move. They just stared at her. "Are you coming?"

Without further delay, Lee and Naruto stood from their seats and followed Natarii, not even bothering to push in their chairs.

Natarii walked out the door and into the hallway. "You two better not get yourselves into any trouble."

"We won't, Natarii-san," Lee said, now walking next to Natarii. "We promise." He flashed a smile at Natarii and gave her a thumbs-up sign.

Natarii rolled her eyes and fastened her pace. "Just follow me."

Naruto and Lee didn't object. They followed her in silence, looking around the school as Natarii had instructed them. Along the top of the walls, there was dark, oak trim with hand-carved, elaborate designs etched into it. The light fixtures looked like dining chandeliers. The floors were tiled, polished white and clean. The walls were pretty bare for the most part, with the exception of motivational posters and test scores, Natarii's name always at the top. That didn't surprise them.

Natarii stopped at a corner, glancing into the next hallway where the main classrooms were. "Wait here a moment," she said, looking up at a clock. Within the next minute, the school bell rang. It was exactly noon. "That's the lunch bell. We'll wait here another minute for the hallways to clear out."

"Why can't we just go with everyone else? Wouldn't you blend in?" Lee asked.

"There is no such thing as blending in for me," Natarii answered. She stealthily looked around the corner once more at the large crowd of chattering teenagers. Girls met with their cliques and guys met with their friends and went straight to lunch. Natarii continued, "Everyone in this school would notice me from a mile away."

"Really?" Lee remarked, surprised, yet fascinated. "Are you that popular?"

"I wouldn't call it 'popular,'" Natarii replied. She continued to watch the hallway. "More like...everyone knows who I am and they're greatly obsessed with me."

"Isn't that the same thing as being popular?" Naruto retorted.

"No!" Natarii shot back. "It's different." She checked the hallway again, and for the most part, it was clear. "All right. We can go now." Natarii stepped forward, then stepped back. "Oh, shoot! I left my lunch back in the library. Wait here for me. Don't move and stay out of trouble!" She turned around and ran in the opposite direction toward the library.

Naruto and Lee remained in the hallway. "Why would she forget her lunch if she knew it was lunch time?" Lee asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I learned to stop questioning her a long time ago." He looked around the corner into the next hallway. There were still a few people left in the hall, mainly guys. There was a group that caught his eye. There was a boy who was tall and looked strong. His hair was short and spiked up in the front. As he spoke, the familiarity in his voice was unmistakable. Naruto remembered this person from somewhere. But where was it?

_"Your stupid brother won't stop us again! He's DEAD!"_

The words rang through Naruto's head. Then, it came to him. That boy was one of the boys who used to torment Natarii. Seeing him again, thinking he was gone and dealt with, catalyzed the rage building up inside him. Naruto stepped into the hallway.

"Naruto-kun? What're you doing?" Lee whispered sharply.

"There's something I have to do." Naruto walked through the hallway a little, then stopped about halfway through. He pointed to the boy and raised his voice. "Hey, you! Spiky hair guy!"

Sure enough, the boy with brown spiky hair turned around, his friends snickering behind him. "Huh?" He looked at Naruto strangely. "You talkin' to me?"

"Well, duh. Who else would I be talking to?"

"Who the hell are you? I have things to do." He slid his hands into his pant pockets.

"You don't remember me?" Naruto asked, sounding a bit cocky. "Wouldn't surprise me. Makes it easier to say I won't forgive you for what you did."

The boy looked at his friends, who were absolutely clueless. He looked back at Naruto. "What're you trying to pull here? This some sort of joke? It'd be a hell of a lot easier if I knew what you were talking about."

"Natarii. I'm talking about Natarii." Naruto was firm with his words. Determination burned within his gaze.

The boy's friends gasped. "Did he just call her by her first name?" One muttered to another.

"I think he did," one of the friends replied.

"What about Nata - er - Suroun-san? Everyone here knows I'm madly in love with her. Do you have a problem with that?" The boy spoke with a mocking tone.

"Yeah!" One of the friends exclaimed. "Takishima here is so in love with Suroun-san! He wouldn't hurt her ever!"

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. This guy was a complete joke! "You're what?! Since when?! Last time I checked, you were shoving her down staircases and threatening her!"

The boy, who Naruto now assumed was named Takishima, froze. His eyes became wide. "H-how...how do you know about that?" His voice was quiet and shaky.

His friends' eyes widened. "You used to bully Suroun-san?" one asked.

Takishima's fists and teeth clenched.

Naruto smirked. "I wonder. Maybe if you remembered who I was, you'd know."

"You're really starting to piss me off," Takishima muttered. "Who the hell are you and how do you know so much about me?"

Naruto shrugged. "Figure it out yourself."

Takishima quickly raised his fist. "You know what, punk? You're really asking for it!"

"Am I supposed to be scared?" Naruto asked mockingly. He closed his fists in case something were to happen.

Takishima couldn't contain himself any longer. He had been made a fool, and his lies were exposed by someone he didn't even know. His fist went racing toward Naruto.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Naruto raised a fist to punch Takishima back, but he didn't have the chance to use it. He was shoved to the side of the hallway, his head slammed against the wall. What happened? Did Lee step in to keep him out of a fight? There was a scream of pain, one he would never forget. Slowly, Naruto turned his head. His eyes widened with horror. Natarii was on the floor, blood pouring out of her nose. She stared up at Takishima with infuriated eyes.

Takishima stared at his hand, then at Natarii. He was speechless.

Natarii felt tears form at the corners of her eyes. But she knew she had to hold them back. Slowly, she reached up and touched her nose, wiping some of the blood off her face. It throbbed with immense pain.

She was tired of being thrown around by people. Her anger was on the edge. But she couldn't get herself to say anything. She stood up, trembling, and turned around. "Don't..." Natarii paused to think of her words. "Don't ever lay a finger on him." Her words were soft and quiet. She took a step forward.

It was then Takishima realized it. He turned to Naruto, pointing a finger at him. "You're the one who-"

"Are you just gonna let him hit you?!" Takishima was cut off and Natarii stopped at the sound of Naruto's voice. "Are you just gonna stand there and let them treat you with disrespect?!"

Natarii couldn't say anything. She stood there, turned away from the group of boys.

Lee came running into the hall. "Natarii-san! Are you all right?"

Natarii didn't say a word. She wiped more blood from her nose and turned around, facing the group of boys led by Takishima. "You...all of you...disgust me."

Takishima and his friends backed away slowly. The apologized, fear and insincerity in their voice. Trying to get away as quickly as possible, they ran off.

As soon as they were out of sight, Natarii turned to Naruto, who stood against the wall. His looked tense and frightened. "Are you-"

"Are you out of your mind?" Natarii interrupted. "Does anything I say mean anything to you?"

Naruto stared at the ground, not saying a word.

Natarii continued. "I told you not to look anyone in the eye for a reason. I told you to wait for me for a reason. So you wouldn't get yourself caught up in a mess like this. Do you not trust me?"

Naruto looked back at Natarii. "I do. I got carried away. Sorry."

Natarii was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. She sighed with relief. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I should be asking you that, not the other way around! Of course I'm okay!"

Natarii nodded. "That's a re..." Her voice trailed off. "I'm going to go wash my face." She turned around and started walking down the hall.

Naruto watched her. "You sure you're okay?" He called out.

"It's just a little nosebleed. No big deal," Natarii replied, turning into the next hall. "Wait for me."

"Little?" Lee repeated as he walked over to Naruto. "That didn't seem like a little nosebleed."

"Of course it wasn't little. She was hit by a guy trying to take all their anger out on another guy."

"That's...painful for a girl...isn't it?"

"Obviously."

Naruto and Lee continued to wait, and to their surprise, no teachers or students showed up. It was as if the fight never happened. But how?

* * *

Natarii stood in the bathroom, washing her face. Blood still consistently flowed from the bowels of her nose. She grabbed a paper towel and squeezed her nose to stop the bleeding, bringing more pain to the already throbbing wound. She sighed. "At least I saw it coming," she muttered to herself.

Natarii's mind flashed through the previous events. She walked through the hallway that lead to the library. She was going to pick up her lunch. Then, it occurred to her. What if Naruto or Lee got into trouble? It would be best if no one were to notice. She took a slight detour to a small closet. The coast was clear. She walked into the closet and found the security control panel. Remembering the specific hallway they were in, she tinkered with the security cameras in that hallway. She didn't break them, but turned them off and wiped the memory of the day. No one would ever know the fight happened unless someone spread word of it. And no one would believe the story without proof. The events of the day would forever be unknown.

Natarii smirked with satisfaction. She outsmarted the boys, and it wasn't the first time she had done so.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, May 11!_

_Next is: "Chapter 37: Realization!" SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! The main story continues with Natarii resuming her training! Naruto comes to the realization that she might be ready for the break-in! _

_Thanks for being so patient! These chapters weren't for nothing though! I had many reasons for writing them. _

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	37. Chapter 37: Realization

Chapter 37: Realization

_BEEP!_

The small noise was almost inaudible with the surrounding noises of the middle of the forest. It was the beginning of the afternoon - a hot, summer afternoon.

"Thirty-two minutes and forty-seven seconds," Lee looked up from the stop-watch to Natarii. She stood, hunched over with her hands on her knees for support, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. Beads of sweat poured down her forehead, and her face was red with exhaustion. "It was better than last week's time."

"But not good enough," Natarii managed to get the words out between breaths. Running three and a half miles really wasn't her strong point. She lifted her head. "What else can I do?"

Lee's eyes grew wide with enthusiasm. "You could-"

"Take a break," Naruto interrupted. He stood against a tree with his arms folded across his chest.

Surprised, Natarii turned her head sharply toward him. "Say what?! Take a break? It's unlike you to say something like that."

"You still haven't built your stamina up to what it should be," Naruto explained. "If you keep working at such intense levels, you'll end up overworking yourself."

"So, you finally found something reasonable to say?" Natarii teased. She smiled. "I could get used to this. You should use your brain more often, Naruto."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Ha ha. You're hilarious."

"Thank you!" Natarii exclaimed, disregarding his sarcasm. She made her way to a plastic waterbottle she placed on the ground at the base of a tree trunk earlier in the day. She picked up the half-empty bottle and took a sip. The water was warm and bitter tasting, thanks to the heat of the summer day. But she didn't really care how it tasted at this point. Water is water.

Naruto stood in thought for a moment. Then, out of the blue, he remembered something important. "Natarii."

Natarii looked at him, giving her his attention.

"Tomorrow's your birthday, right?"

Natarii nodded slowly.

"Eh?! Is it really?" Lee asked enthusiastically.

Natarii nodded once more. "Why bring that up now?" She almost sounded irritated.

"We have to celebrate!" Lee exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air.

"Please don't. I don't celebrate my birthday."

"But it's your birthday!"

"The twenty-seventh of June hasn't been the birthday of Takanami Natarii in years. Especially this year."

Naruto immediately knew what she was referring to. He regretted asking the question in front of Lee - he would never understand Natarii's strees over her birthday. But he had to make sure. Changing the subject, he stated, "We should test your agility."

"Agility?" Natarii's face instantly lit up.

"After going up against Deidara, of all people, your agility already seems to be pretty good."

"Really?"

Naruto nodded. "It takes a lot of effort to dodge bombs and stuff like that."

"I guess you have a point there." Natarii put her hands on her hips. "What do you want me to do?"

Lee got into a fighting position. "Dodge my attacks."

"I guess that's not a bad idea," Naruto began. "Bushy Brows is one of the fastest shinobi in the Leaf..."

Flustered, Lee turned quickly to Naruto, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Do you really mean that, Naruto-kun?!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, realizing what he just said. "Don't take it the wrong way. I can easily it back."

Lee didn't say anything more and returned to his fighting stance. "Are you ready, Natarii-san?"

"All I have to do is dodge your attacks?"

Lee nodded.

Natarii got in a stance similar to Lee's. "Let's do this."

"Here I come!" Lee threw a swift punch at Natarii's face. Her eyes narrowed with determination. Without trouble, she maneuvered to the side.

Lee's eyes widened with surprise. He didn't expect Natarii to dodge so easily. He threw another attack by her left shoulder. The reaction was even quicker than before. The next punches were quicker and thrown rapidly. Before long, after getting the same results, Lee was full out sparring with Natarii. The only difference was she wasn't allowed to attack.

Maneuver left. Maneuver right. Crouch. Maneuver right. Jump. Back away. Left. Left. Right. Back. Left. Right. Down. Up. Back. Down. It continued for minutes on end.

Naruto watched Natarii with wide eyes. She didn't even look tired. How did she dodge Lee so smoothly? He was a Taijutsu user. That could be one reason. Taijutsu isn't nearly as difficult to dodge as some Ninjutsu attacks. But Lee was fast. Obviously, Natarii was fast too. But how was she so fast? Naruto watched more closely than he had been. If he saw correctly, he noticed Natarii's mouth moving. She was muttering something under her breath as Lee threw punches and kicks at her. Yet, she continued to dodge with ease. Was what she was saying helping her?

_WHAP!_

Natarii flopped onto the ground, breathing heavily. Her right cheek was swollen with red. She rubbed it, trying to ease the pain. Although, it didn't hurt nearly as bad as the punch to the nose from her classmate in the hallway.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Natarii-san!" Lee exclaimed. "I just assumed you were going to keep dodging! I got a little carried away...I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Natarii shook her head with a smile. "Not at all. It's just a bit swollen. It'll be all right." She looked up at Lee. "I appreciate you not going easy on me."

Lee chuckled, his cheeks flushed with pink.

Naruto walked over to the two. "Natarii."

Natarii turned to him. "What?"

"How'd you do that exactly?"

"What do you mean?"

"How'd you dodge him so easily? He'd throw a punch," Naruto threw a fake punch, "and you'd be all like -" He moved to the side as Natarii had done during her practice. "You made it look easy on your first try!"

"Did I?" Natarii asked as she stood up. "It's really quite simple."

Naruto instantly backed away slightly. There was an explanation coming he wouldn't understand.

Natarii held up one finger. "First, I estimate how far away the opponent is standing. Bushy Brows stood approximately fourty-six centimeters away from me. I can find this estimation based on envisioning a ruler in my head." Natarii held up another finger. "Second, based on his positioning, I can take another estimation of the speed, velocity, and acceleration of the attack." Natarii threw a couple punches. "Based on the measurements of speed, velocity, and acceleration, there is the given time of escape. In the case of Bushy Brows, there is an open window of about 0.47 seconds." Natarii raised a finger. "But that's not all. I also need to know the direction of attack. This is also based on his positioning." She moved to a fighting position. "If my shoulders are angled slightly like this -" Natarii angled her shoulders to the right. "The punch will be from the left hand aiming toward the opponent's right. Thus, I have to dodge left." She maneuvered to the left. "Same applies for left, up, and down. Knowing all these facts, I have approximately one half of the given escape time to dodge. The rest relies on instinct, speed, and experience."

Naruto and Lee stared blankly at Natarii, not understanding a word she just said.

"You figure that out in your head?" Lee asked, unconvinced.

"Yes."

Lee pointed to the treetops. "Then, if you can do all that and dodge my attacks, can you jump between trees?"

Natarii thought for a moment. "I recall doing it once or twice during my encounter with Deidara and when I escaped from the hospital, so I probably can." _Though, they were rather clumsy attempts, _she finished in her mind.

"That's awesome!" Lee exclaimed. "You're such a fast learner!"

Natarii rubbed the back of her neck and managed a small smile. "Looks like all my hard work payed off then."

"Hard work?" Lee repeated.

"It's nothing." Natarii turned to Naruto, who stood blankly, lost in thought. "Naruto?"

Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts. "What?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just thinking about something."

"Care to share?"

Naruto glanced at Lee out of the corner of his eye, then his gaze went back to Natarii. "I'll tell you when today's training is over."

Natarii nodded and turned back to Lee. "Now what?"

Lee thought for a moment, looking at the exhausted girl in front of him. "I guess we could finish up here. We will sprint to the main training fields!"

"Sprint?! Are you out of your mind?!" Natarii shouted.

"Do you want to raise your stamina or not?" Lee questioned. "The fields aren't _that_ far."

"They're half a mile away!" Natarii protested. "That's far!"

"Guess you won't get stronger then," Lee said firmly.

Natarii sighed. "All right. Fine. We'll sprint." She reluctantly positioned herself next to Lee, not looking forward to the torture ahead. But she knew she had to do it for the sake of stamina.

Lee motioned for Naruto to join them. "You too, Naruto-kun."

"Guess it's only fair that way." Naruto walked up next to Natarii.

"Ready?" Lee asked one last time.

Natarii and Naruto nodded.

"Go!" Lee broke out into an immediate sprint, weaving in and out of trees.

Naruto followed him, suddenly feeling competitive. The two were neck and neck.

Natarii followed, sprinting as fast as she could behind the two boys. She managed to keep up with them at a fair distance - one she thought was better than she originally imagined.

They ran swiftly down the forest path. Natarii was starting to slow down, but she refused to not accomplish her task. It seemed like ages, but after a few minutes, the main training fields were in sight. Naruto and Lee finished and made it to the field at their fastest pace. Natarii was still lagging behind a bit, but she fastened her pace and made it to the field with every ounce of her effort. As soon as she made it, she doubled over, using every ounce of her strength to catch her breath.

"Good work today, Natarii-san!" Lee gave Natarii a thumbs-up sign. He didn't even break a sweat.

Natarii gave Lee a weak thumbs-up sign in return, unable to say a word.

"I'll leave you two here," Lee began. "I have my own workouts to complete!" He waved good-bye and ran off.

Natarii flopped onto her back and stared at the sky. Naruto sat down next to her. He looked around, making sure no one else was nearby. The coast was clear. "So, tomorrow's your birthday?" He randomly asked.

"Why are you so concerned about my birthday?" Natarii asked, sounding annoyed. "It's not even my birthday anymore. If your going to buy me a present, I won't accept it. I stopped accepting gifts."

"It's not that. I was wondering if-"

"I don't enjoy doing things with people on my birthday either. I like to have that day to myself. And...Keizu."

"Don't you think it'd be good to get your mind off it for a change?"

"It'll be ten years tomorrow. I don't plan on changing my ways."

"What if I told you you're ready?"

Natarii looked at Naruto strangely. "Ready? For what?"

"You know...the break in."

Natarii's eyes widened. She had completely forgotton about their plan to break into the house where all the secret and forbidden scrolls were kept. "You want to do that tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, May 18!_

_Next is: "Chapter 38: Birthday Break-In!" It's Natarii's birthday and the tenth anniversary of Keizu's death. To get Natarii's mind of the sadness, Naruto insists upon plotting the break-in! Will they finally find what they've been looking for?_

_'Til next time! _

_- ChibiNinja45_


	38. Chapter 38: Birthday Break-In

Chapter 38: Birthday Break-In

_Ten years...has it really been that long?_ Natarii sluggishly made her way up the basement stairs. She opened the door that led to the main floor and walked into the kitchen.

"There she is!" Makina exclaimed from the stove. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She held a plate with steaming omelets. "Happy sweet sixteen!"

Natarii narrowed her eyes. "Mom," she began with a yawn. "I told you to not celebrate my birthday."

"But it's your sixteenth birthday! Come on, we have to be happy today, regardless of the other circumstances." Natarii could tell her mom was trying her best to stay happy. There were dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks were tear-stained.

Natarii figured she should try her best too. "Okay. Thank you."

Makina held out the plate of omelets. "Keizu would want you to be happy too, you know."

Natarii took the plate and nodded. "I know." She made her way to the counter and sat down on a wooden stool. Her mom handed her a pair of metal chopsticks. Natarii took hold of them and grabbed an omelet. "Where's Dad?" she asked.

Makina held a dish towel and started washing some of the dishes that were already in the sink. "He had to leave early this morning for work. He told me to wish you a happy birthday as well."

Natarii smiled and lifted the omelet with her chopsticks. She opened her mouth to eat it.

"MORNING!" Naruto came storming in obnoxiously through the front door.

Natarii jumped. She dropped her chopsticks and her omelet onto the floor. Quickly, she turned to Naruto, who slammed the door behind him. "Don't just barge into someone's house!" She yelled. "There's a thing called knocking for a reason!"

"Hello, Naruto," Makina greeted with a calm smile. "Lower your voice, Natarii. There's no reason to yell."

"Hi, Natarii's mom!" Naruto walked into the room.

"What're you doing here?" Natarii asked, putting an omelet in her mouth. "I didn't expect to see you this early."

"Don't be so rude, Natarii. Give the boy a second to make himself at home."

"It's Naruto, Mom. I don't think there's a such thing as rude when he's around."

"I see how it is," Naruto muttered, sitting down on a stool next to Natarii. He took a carton of milk that was on the counter. Due to habit, he was about to drink from the carton itself. But he stopped himself. "Do you have a cup?"

"Of course." Makina reached into one of the cupboards and picked a glass. She placed it on the counter in front of Naruto.

"Thank you!" Naruto poured milk from the carton into the glass and took a drink.

"It's not expired, is it?" Natarii teased.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her. "Shut up." He took another drink.

Natarii laughed and took a bite out of another omelet.

"So, Naruto, what brings you here today?" Makina asked with a smile. "Come to think of it, you haven't been here in quite some time."

It was then Naruto remembered Natarii's mom didn't know he had been walking Natarii to and from school every day. "You're right, I haven't," he replied, not wanting to reveal the truth. "I just came to pick Natarii up."

"Oh?" Makina put her towel down and leaned against the counter in front of the two teens. "Are you two going out or something?" She asked suspiciously.

Natarii's face turned bright red. "Mom! That's weird! Of course we're not!"

"Yeah, don't get the wrong idea!" Naruto was pretty red as well.

Makina leaned back and picked up her towel again. She started wiping off the stove. "I guess you're not since you're both denying it."

Natarii shoved her last omelet into her mouth. "We're not. End of story. Why'd you have to bring something awkward like that up?"

"It's a mother's job. You'll understand one day."

"Yeah right." Natarii stood up from her seat and took her plate to the sink. "Do you have an extra dish towel?"

"Just put it in the sink. I'll wash it today."

Natarii set the small plate gently in the metal sink. "Thank you." She turned to Naruto. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Then we can go. You don't mind if I'm out all day, right, Mom?"

Makina shook her head. "Just be back by a reasonable time. I don't want you out too late with everything that's happened. Although if you're going to be with Naruto the whole time..." Makina thought about a way to put her words. "Just don't stay out too late."

Natarii nodded and went back down the basement stairs.

Makina set the towel down on the counter next to the stove. "It was you, wasn't it?" she asked Naruto, her back turned to him.

"Huh?" Naruto held the glass of milk.

"The first time. Natarii never told me about it. But it was you. The one who saved her. Am I right?"

Slowly, Naruto lowered the milk back to the counter. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "What about it?"

It was a moment before Makina replied. She pulled her ponytail over her right shoulder and ran her fingers through it. "I never got the chance to properly thank you. A simple one doesn't seem like nearly enough."

"It's really no big deal."

"It is to me," Makina said, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. "If she had died back then...I don't know what I..." her voice trailed off.

Naruto remained silent, thinking about what he should say, or if he should say anything at all.

"I'm sorry," Makina spoke before he could say anything. "I had to get that off my chest. Please think nothing of it."

Naruto nodded, feeling slightly awkward. Luckily, at that time, Natarii came up from the basement. "Okay. I'm ready." She had on her usual jeans, t-shirt, and jacket, but this time, she had a backpack - a rather small one compared to the gigantic one she took to the hot spring.

Natarii turned to her mom. "Don't be too down on yourself today."

Makina nodded. "Be careful and have fun."

Natarii made her way to the front door. "We will." She grabbed a pair of gray sneakers and slipped them on her feet without untying the laces.

Naruto stood up from his seat and walked to Natarii, who was opening the front door. "See ya later, Natarii's mom," he called out before leaving the house.

Makina waved good-bye with a kind smile. She went back to washing dishes.

"I wonder if I should stay home with her," Natarii thought aloud. She and Naruto started walking down the road, the way they usually left for her school in the mornings.

"Didn't you say it was usually awkward if you stayed home?" Naruto asked.

"Well, yeah," Natarii began. "She usually doesn't have so much ease keeping herself together. And I feel bad. But I feel bad leaving her alone too." She sighed and put her hands in her jacket pockets. "There's no winning in this situation. But I'm not going back now. There's too much to do before tonight."

"I'm still surprised you actually agreed with me," Naruto remarked.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you were right. I need to get my mind off everything."

Naruto leaned closer to Natarii, cupping his hand by his ear. "Could you repeat that? I didn't hear you."

Natarii playfully shoved him away. "No way! I'm not saying it again!" She ran a little further ahead, then stopped to wait for him to catch up. Once he caught up, the two continued walking.

* * *

"This is the place?" Natarii whispered so quietly her voice was almost inaudible. She looked down from a tree branch at the wood building in the small clearing of the woods. It was about the size of a small house. It looked untouched for the most part, but one would expect that considering it was heavily guarded. But no one stood around it.

"Yeah, this is it," Naruto replied. He was also trying to be as quiet as possible.

"I thought it was supposed to be heavily guarded," Natarii pointed out. "Where is everyone?"

"They probably put Chunin on security. They're scattered around us." Naruto looked around, then pointed to something in the distance.

Natarii squinted her eyes to get a closer look, and, sure enough, there was a Chunin there. Suddenly, knots tied up in her stomach and she became nervous. "Why are we here if they're around?!" She snapped quietly.

"'Cause this is one of their only blind spots. They can't see us."

Natarii relaxed a bit. "You've thought this through more than I expected."

"I told you. I used to get into a lot of trouble stealing these things."

"Right, right." Natarii looked closer at the building. She pointed to a small speck of metal that hung from one of the corners of the building. "Is that a camera?"

Naruto looked closer at the metal speck. "Crap," he remarked. "Looks like they've upped the security since I last came here." He turned to Natarii. "You can hack into the system, can't you?"

"Probably. Depends on how hard the code is."

"You just have to turn them off."

"No way. That's the worst thing you can do!"

"What? Why?"

"If you turn the cameras off, it'll be suspicious because you don't just forget to turn the security system on. It'd be obvious someone's trying to break in," Natarii explained. "You put the camera visuals on a still image. A frozen screen."

Naruto stared at Natarii, confused.

"In other words, the camera is still on, but they don't see us."

"Oooh...that makes sense."

"Of course it does," Natarii said, looking back down at the building. "What time do we come back tonight?"

"No specific time. If word leaks out, they'll be ready for us." Naruto dropped down from the tree, not making a sound. Natarii followed, landing with a small thump. But no one seemed to notice.

Naruto looked around the area, ensuring they wouldn't be seen. Everything was clear. He motioned for Natarii to follow him, then started running through the woods. Again, Natarii followed. The two dashed as fast as they could. At first, they ran in a straight line that would get them out of the secured area. Then, they started weaving in and out of trees in order to get to the village quicker.

"Why do we just run like this?" Natarii asked with a normal tone, knowing they weren't in the secured area any more. "Wouldn't it be safer to be stealthy?"

"I guess so," Naruto replied. "But if we're coming out here in broad daylight, they might think we've been sent out here by Tsunade Oba-chan or something."

"Then why were we hiding?"

"Uh...good question! Because it's...stealthy?"

Natarii rolled her eyes. "I take back what I said earlier about you having this together."

Naruto didn't seem to hear her. Right when she said it, he broke out of the woods. Natarii came out right after him.

"Now what?" Natarii asked.

"We can stall I guess. Waste time."

"I'm not wasting time!" Natarii exclaimed. "If anything, I'm gonna plan how we're supposed to get into a heavily guarded building."

"That works too."

Natarii walked out a bit further into the grass and sat down. She looked up at Naruto. "How do you usually get in?"

Naruto thought as he sat down. "On a whim I guess," he answered. "I usually just wing it."

"You must have really good instincts," Natarii concluded, putting a finger on her chin.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

Natarii shrugged. "It can go either way. I'd take it in the compliment direction if I were you."

Naruto scratched at the back of his head. "Guess I will then." He smiled.

"Okay," Natarii began. "This is what I have in mind..."

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, May 25!_

_Next is: "Chapter 39: Operation Break-In!" The break-in process has begun! Will they succeed in getting to the secret scrolls? Or will they get caught?_

_'Till next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	39. Chapter 39: Operation Break-In

Chapter 39: Operation Break-In

Naruto looked down on the forbidden shed from the same blind spot as the previous afternoon. There were a few dim lights lighting the path to get inside the shed. Everything else was dark except for the bright flashlights that the guarding Chunin held. Would Natarii be able to dodge them? The lights? The Chunin? The rest of the security? She was able to dodge Lee's swift attacks, so why wouldn't she? Now...where was she even hiding? Naruto looked closely for her. He noticed small movements coming from a shadow in a corner to the side of a metal box. It was Natarii. It had to be. He could barely tell she was there - her black clothes helped her blend in with the shadows. The metal box must've contained the control panel she was looking for. The only problem...was that there was a light shining right on it. Natarii would be seen instantly if she tried anything.

Natarii looked around her perimeter, ensuring that she wouldn't be caught in the beam of the light next to the metal box. Quietly, she felt around the wall. If she remembered correctly, there was a metal ladder bolted to it. After several moments of feeling around, she grasped it. Slowly, she climbed up the ladder without making a sound. She placed one bare foot on the flat roof, then the other. Her heart was pounding as she tiptoed over to the light and security camera. Once she was behind it, she kneeled onto her knees and bent over as much as possible. Slowly, she extended her arm before her, reaching for the light without getting in caught in its rays. She grazed the bottom of the bulb with the tips of her fingers.

_ACK!_ Natarii screamed in her mind as she rapidly pulled her hand back. _IT'S HOT!_ She looked down at the light, nervous and hesitant. Then, and idea came to her mind. She reached back into a pouch that hung along her belt and pulled out a single white glove. Quickly, she slid her fingers inside and reached down to the bulb. Her fingertips touched the bottom. It was still hot, but it didn't bring as much pain as before. Natarii gently twisted the bulb ever so slightly - it was as if it was never touched. The light went out. Natarii smirked with satisfaction. Her plan was a success. Next was tinkering with the security cameras.

Naruto watched the small shadow move around the roof of the building. It was swift and organized, descending the ladder as soon as it was finished with its job. Before long, it was out of sight. He was going to have to wait for the signal.

Natarii gently felt the walls, looking for the metal box. She found it. She felt for an opening, then tugged on the box slightly. It was locked. Natarii puffed a breath of frustration, not that she expected anything different. She reached into the pouch and pulled out a paper clip. Cautiously, she slid the paper clip into the keyhole, which was barely in her sight. The only reason she could see it was because a small beam of light reflected off the moon. Natarii twisted it in many different directions, hoping it would open despite the darkness. She couldn't see a thing. All she could do was rely on her instincts.

_CHINK!_

The door slowly opened. Natarii smiled with satisfaction and reached into the box. It was as she suspected. It was an emergency control panel. The main control panel must've had a more significant location. But an emergency control would work perfectly.

Natarii felt around the buttons, ensuring she wouldn't accidentally push any unnecessary ones. It was impossible for her to see. She was going to have to find the buttons without sight. Her fingers grazed each button. She came across one that had a rough pattern on it - one she was looking for. She gently pressed it, and a small keypad came out of a small slot. Natarii positioned her hands in the keypad and started typing. She knew the code by heart. Now, it was only a matter of whether she made any typing errors or not.

_I've got to get this right,_ Natarii thought to herself._ This is probably my last chance to find anything._ _If there even is anything I know it'd be_ here!

There was a beeping sound. Natarii closed in on the control panel to see what it was. In tiny, lit-up letters, there was a message. It read, "Access granted."

Natarii sighed with relief. The cameras were still. Her heart still pounding, Natarii closed the door of the metal box without making a sound. She stuck the paper clip back inside the keyhole until it was locked. Everything looked the way it did before she came. Now, it was time to give the signal. She had a feeling Naruto was growing impatient with her. She raised her hand to her mouth, ready to give a call. But she heard a soft pounding against the ground. Footsteps. They were coming closer. Natarii had to think quickly. She had to stay calm. There wasn't any time to make noise and dawdle. As quickly as she could, Natarii climbed up the metal ladder. Right when she got to the top, she ducked, laying on her stomach as if she was a soldier in the mud. Cautiously, she peeped over the edge of the building. There was a Chunin there. He had a flashlight. Natarii pulled her head back. She couldn't allow herself to be seen. Not now. Not when she was so close to possibly finding the information she'd been looking for. She waited. And waited.

* * *

_Where the heck is she?_ Naruto thought to himself, growing more irritable by the second. _She didn't get caught, did she?_ He anxiously waited for the call. But it never came. He was tired of waiting. What if Natarii did get caught? What if she was standing in front of an infuriated Tsunade just waiting to be blown to bits and pieces? The anticipation was killing him. He was about to go down to the large shed on his own, but he knew if he did that, Natarii would have a serious panic attack. He thought about it, debating whether upsetting Natarii was worth it or not. He told her he'd follow the plan without interfering in the wrong areas. But whenever he did interfere, she was never mad for very long. Natarii would get over it.

Naruto took a step, ready to leave the thick branch in which he stood. He stopped himself. An idea came to mind. Technically, he wouldn't be leaving his place. Natarii would have no room to complain. Naruto formed a few hand signs._ Kagebushin no Jutsu_, he said in his mind. A puff of smoke appeared next to him. It dispersed quickly, revealing a single clone. The clone leaped from the tree and made its way to the shed.

It was hard to see through the darkness of the night, especially with the missing light Natarii put out. The clone looked around the area. He noticed the Chunin looking around. Swiftly, he hid behind a tree, avoiding being seen.

"Geez, I knew something was weird over here," the Chunin's loud voice boomed through the area. "The light went out. How the hell'd that happen?"

_He must be really bored if he's talking to himself like that,_ the clone thought to himself. He peered around the side of the tree. The Chunin stood on a small stool below the light. He reached up to the bulb and tightened it. The light came on.

"Must've come loose," the Chunin said to himself. He backed away from the light and remained in the area for a moment.

The clone continued to watch him. It didn't seem like he found Natarii. But if he didn't find her, who did? Unless she was hiding somewhere. The clone looked around for a moment longer. He didn't see Natarii anywhere.

Before long, another Chunin came out from the woods. He approached the other. "Why aren't you at your post?"

The first Chunin pointed to the light. "This light went out. I'm making sure it's nothing serious."

"It's just a light. These things happen. I'm sure it's nothing. Come on." The second Chunin motioned for the first to follow. "You need to get back to your post."

"Right, right. Nothing's happened, so I guess it wasn't anything." The first Chunin followed the second back to the woods.

Relieved, Naruto's clone stepped forward. He could finally look for Natarii.

_SNAP!_

"Did you hear that?" The first Chunin asked, looking in the clone's direction.

_Dammit!_ The clone thought to himself.

"Yeah, it was probably a deer or something."

"We should check it out. There could be an intruder."

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, June 1!_

_Next is: "Chapter 40: Tension and Caution!" Did someone else find Natarii? Will Naruto's clone be caught? Many risks are taken while trying to break into the secret scroll house! Read next week to find out!_

_Wow, 40 chapters already? Thanks for reading this far, guys! ^_^ It really does mean a lot to me! _

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	40. Chapter 40: Tension and Caution

Chapter 40: Tension and Caution

Naruto continued to scan the dark area. He didn't see his clone or Natarii anywhere. _This is pointless, _he thought to himself as he formed the hand sign for recalling the clone.

* * *

The clone panicked. Quickly, he leaped up into the heights of the tree, hoping that it would allow him to escape. He situated himself along a high branch, but before he knew it, he was nothing but a puff of smoke.

The two Chunin looked around where the clone originally stood. Nothing.

"Tsk. I told you it was a deer," the second Chunin observed.

"You can never be too sure," the first Chunin replied. "Just because nothing's happened lately doesn't mean you can't let your guard down."

"Yeah, yeah. I know that." The second Chunin began walking away. "Just becomes a routine when you get startled by harmless deer all the time."

The first Chunin followed. Before long, they disappeared in the woods.

All was silent.

Natarii slowly looked up from her spot on the roof. Everyone was gone. She carefully stood up, trying to not make a sound in case someone was still around. Still barefoot, Natarii tiptoed to the camera. She knelt down and took a flashlight out of her back pouch. She shined it on the camera. Luckily, no one was around to notice the beam of light. There were a few small wires on the backside of the camera: a red one, a yellow one, and a white one. Natarii glanced down at her right hand, which still had the glove on it. She took hold of one of the wires with that hand and twisted it, pulling it from it's slot slightly. Now, she knew for sure the camera was disabled. And the glove would hide her fingerprints. No one would know it was her.

Naruto saw the flashlight. It turned off. Everything was dark again. But he knew it was Natarii. Was that her signal? Signal or no signal, Naruto leaped from the tree, landing on the opposite end of the roof.

Natarii's heart skipped a beat as she quickly turned her head to see who approached her. She was relieved to see that it was only Naruto, but she did not appreciate the scare. "What're you doing?!" She snapped in a sharp whisper, trying to hide her inner relief. She stood and ran to him, putting the flashlight and glove in her pouch. "I didn't give the signal!"

"Signal or no signal, I was starting to freak out," Naruto argued. "It was like you were caught or something!"

"I didn't get caught! I was hiding!" Natarii gently bopped the side of Naruto's head. "Geez, you need to learn to be more patient," she said. She let out a huff to release her contrasting frustration and relief. "Now, aside from that, we need to find a way to get in. I disabled the security cameras, but I don't know if I disabled the entire system." Natarii looked around the area. "There's got to be a way in."

"I know a way," Naruto mentioned. He walked toward the edge of the building and looked down. He smirked with satisfaction. Down below, there was an underground tornado shelter-looking chamber. It went underground.

Natarii followed him and looked over the edge. "I see." She crouched down and looked at the doors to the cellar. There was a chain looped around the handles, and a lock on the chains. "Tsk. If only we brought a third person," Natarii mumbled.

"Huh? Why a third person?"

Natarii pointed to the lock. "It's going to be difficult putting that lock back on while descending into an underground chamber. It's doable, but very difficult. It may cause commotion. If we had a third person, they could put the lock back on from the outside and come in another way."

"I guess that makes sense," Naruto said. "But what other way is there?"

"I don't know. But I'll find one."

"_You'll _find one? No way. I'm not leaving you out here by yourself," Naruto protested.

"You're going to have to. I'll tie the chains and find another way in." She pulled out the same paper clip she used to pick the lock on the security box.

Naruto sighed and jumped from the roof, landing perfectly on the ground. He knew arguing with Natarii was an argument he couldn't win. "You coming?"

Natarii looked down at the far drop. "There's no ladder."

"Just jump then."

"What?! That's crazy!" Natarii whispered sharply. "I haven't gotten that far in my training yet!"

"Well, you can't just walk around! It'll take too long!" Naruto snapped back. "Just jump!"

Natarii continued to stare down at the ground with uncertainty. She took a deep breath. She jumped. It was a quick drop. So quick Natarii didn't have time to think about landing on her feet. She shut her eyes tight. But she never hit the ground. Slowly, she opened one eye, then opened the other. She was staring up at Naruto. She looked around. She was above the ground. It was then she realized it. Naruto caught her. She was cradled in his arms. Her face quickly heat up and turned bright pink, but it wasn't noticeable in the moonlight. "What is it with you and carrying me?!" She shot in a soft whisper. "Put me down!"

"Would you have rather hit the ground and broken something?" Naruto defended, putting her on the ground.

Natarii rolled her eyes. "I can manage myself!" She made her way to the lock on the cellar doors and kneeled in front of them. Swiftly, and cautiously, she slid the paper clip into the small keyhole. She twisted it around until she heard a click. It was unlocked. Natarii caught the chains before they could clank on the wood of the doors. She gently, without making any noise, moved the chains to the grass. Then, she looked over her shoulders and all around. There was no one. "It's clear," Natarii whispered, taking hold of the handle of one of the doors. "You have a flashlight?"

Naruto nodded.

Natarii quickly pulled the door open. There were a few squeaks, but nothing that would draw attention. She motioned for Naruto to go in.

Naruto was still against Natarii being alone, but he went with it anyway. He quickly descended into the building. He turned his flashlight on at the bottom, signaling for Natarii to close the door. She did so, quietly closing it. She stood up, looking over her shoulders to ensure she was alone. She was. Nervousness and uncertainty built up inside her. Everything was quiet. Natarii picked up the chains, hoping they wouldn't clink together. She carried them back to the cellar doors and tied them around the handles with caution. She attached the lock to the chains and locked it.

Natarii turned toward the mass of trees behind her. Since it was dark, she could only see the enormous silhouettes of the tall trunks and winding branches. Looking around, she was rather surprised with the fact that the Chunin were spread throughout the woods instead of gathered at the building. We're things more efficient that way?

Natarii shook her head. She was letting her priorities slide. The way the Chunin guarded the building wasn't as important right now. What was important was getting inside. But how was she going to do that? She didn't know how to break into a building! _You can't just walk in through the front door,_ Natarii thought to herself, walking around the building, staying close to the wall. _Maybe a window?_ Natarii looked up at the second floor of the building. There was a window that was cracked open. "Tsk." Natarii puffed a breath of frustration. _I'm not stupid enough to fall for a trick like that_. She kept circling. Then she saw it. There was a small window that lead to the basement. She could have Naruto open it from the inside. She peered inside. Naruto was nowhere to be found, but the light from his flashlight was in clear sight. He was still in there.  
Natarii knocked on the window. Nothing. Maybe he didn't hear her. She raised her fist to knock again, but she stopped. There was a presence near her. Slowly, she turned her head. She could see the light of a flashlight from around the corner. It was coming toward her.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, June 8!_

_Next is: "Chapter 41: Discovery!" Will Natarii make it into the cellar? Naruto finds something hidden within the cellar! What exactly is it? Will it lead the two closer to what they've been looking for?_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChbibNinja45_


	41. Chapter 41: Discovery

_So, as it turns out, I'm not going to be able to make it to a computer tomorrow (June 8), so I decided to go ahead and give you the new chapter a day early! You're welcome! Enjoy! ^_^_

* * *

Chapter 41: Discovery

Naruto looked left and right for scrolls. They were neatly organized on various shelves, each shelf labeled with a different organization tag. There was Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Fuuinjutsu, and even family names.

Naruto decided it would be best to check the Fuuinjutsu section first. There had to be something about the Keimusho Seal in there. He looked to see if there was writing on the outside of the scrolls themselves, but had no luck. Every single scroll was either in a box or stacked neatly among the shelves. Their outsides were blank. Naruto was going to have to read through them to find anything. Read. He was hoping Natarii was going to have to do the reading, but she still hadn't come inside. Where was she? Why was she taking so long? Maybe she really did get caught!

Naruto turned off his flashlight and ran to the staircase with the cellar doors. He seemed to forget that Natarii locked them from the outside. He reached for the door to escape. He was going to find her. At the last second, however, he stopped. A bit of sense came to mind. If Natarii was caught, she wouldn't be able to find anything. That's why there's a culprit and an accomplice.

Naruto didn't have time to worry about Natarii. He had to gather as much information as he could no matter how terrible he was at it. He backed away from the doors and turned his flashlight back on. After thinking for a brief moment, Naruto thought it would be best to check the Fuuinjutsu section again, this time by looking at the actual contents of the scrolls. But his flashlight caught something that grabbed his attention. It was a family name. He walked toward it to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. They weren't. The tag before him was a very familiar family name. Takanami.

* * *

Natarii stood, hunched over with her hands on her legs, trying to catch her breath. She had run all the way around the building, staying close to the wall in order to escape the incoming Chunin. But the escape was only temporary. Most likely, they would return within the next minute or so. She would have to take her actions quickly. Her gaze went to the window above her. It was the one that was cracked open. She really did run all the way around the building. At this rate, it might be her only choice. Natarii gulped and looked for a way up. There was a stack of boxes in the corner to her right. Luckily, the window was right above it. _These Chuunin look as if they're trying to attract criminals, not repel them_, Natarii thought to herself as she climbed onto the first box. She climbed onto the second one. It was like a step ladder. Natarii climbed onto a third box, which was right below the window. Standing on the box, she could see into the room clearly. First, she looked up at the top of the window. There was a small switch that would set off an alarm if it was raised too high. Second, she looked into the room. There was a small glare in the moonlight. Natarii tilted her head. Of course! Clear wires! They would set off an alarm if they were touched. Finally, she took hold of the window and carefully put it up. She stopped it just below the alarm switch so she would have enough room to get through.

Natarii heard footsteps in the distance. In a panic, she quickly squeezed through the window and shut it, leaving a small opening at the bottom. She backed away from the window slowly. She didn't want to trip over any wires. She turned around from the window, looking toward the door. She lost her balance. She found herself struggling to regain herself, and there was a wire right in front of her! Clumsily, she stepped over it. The pattern continued. Natarii awkwardly stepped and hopped over each wire, for she didn't have enough time to get her balance back. Before she knew it, however, Natarii made it successfully out of the room. She was in. Now, all she had to do was get down to the cellar and find Naruto.

She started down the hallway, which ended in a flight of stairs. Natarii looked over the railing and saw the masses of shelves and scrolls in front of her. "Are there really this many forbidden scrolls?" Natarii thought aloud to herself in a whisper. She descended the stairs. _Should I look up here?_ Natarii thought. She looked around. _Then again, the more secret scrolls would most likely be hidden somewhere. Probably in the cellar where Naruto is._ She looked for a staircase to the cellar. It must've been hidden somewhere.

Natarii scanned the dark room, knowing it would be too dangerous to turn her flashlight on. In the back of the room, there was a door. Natarii could barely see it, but it was there. Slowly, she inched toward it. The wood floorboards squeaked slightly with each step. Natarii extended her arm, reaching for the doorknob. The door was unlocked. She opened it. Before her was a staircase descending into a black hole.  
Natarii pulled out her flashlight. The light flickered on with the push of a button. She started down the stairs, closing the door behind her. The stairs were dark and steep. They creaked as she planted each foot on the narrow boards. She continued with caution.

"Naruto?" She whispered. "Are you down here?" She looked around the corner. There was a flashlight on the ground. Its beam of light was aimed at her. She looked up from the light. Naruto stood behind it, his eyes wide with some sort of shock. He held a scroll in his hands, and a few more were rolled out on the floor.

"Um...did something happen?" Natarii asked, concerned. "You're actually reading something."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto's voice was soft and sounded like a child. He continued to give Natarii a blank stare.

"Huh? Tell you what? What're you talking about?"

"Your family. They used to be shinobi of the Leaf."

Natarii's eyes widened. "What? How'd you find that?!"

"So, you did know. But why didn't you-"

"That's not important right now!" Natarii exclaimed. "Just tell me where you found it!"

"It was on this shelf." Naruto pointed to the shelf behind him. "Why?"

Natarii's eyes grew wide with hope as she slowly crept over to the shelf. Her heart was pounding. "Jiraya-sensei...told me my family was filled with Fuuinjutsu specialists." She picked up a scroll and opened it.

"Fuuinjutsu?" Naruto repeated. "Then why can't we ask your parents to take it off?"

Natarii looked through scroll after scroll. "They wouldn't do that. They've already refused."

"Your grandparents?"

Natarii nearly burst out laughing. "Don't make me laugh! Those geezers wouldn't do anything for me."

Naruto looked at Natarii cluelessly. "Why not? If they're Fuuinjutsu specialists then they might know something. Why go through all the trouble on your own when you have people like that to help you?"

"Why are we discussing this now?" Natarii inquired, growing rather irritated. "I have my reasons."

Naruto stopped pushing for answers and looked through more scrolls. "I don't see anything. Do you?"

Natarii was sitting on the floor, writing things down in a notebook. "Many things. There are so many different seals."

"You're writing them all down?"

"Well, it's not like I can take the scrolls with me." Natarii looked from scroll to scroll. "It's really complex."

Naruto slapped is palm against his face. "Have you lost sight of the objective? This stuff isn't as important!"

"I know, I know," Natarii replied, standing up. "I can copy them down later. She looked around the shelf. There were still a ton of scrolls to look through. But a certain one caught her eye. It was in a small brown box. Natarii took hold of the box and set it on the floor. She cleaned up the scrolls on the floor and put them in their proper place before opening it.

"Did you find something?" Naruto asked, looking up from a smaller scroll.

"I found this box," Natarii replied, holding up the box. "It was hidden behind everything, and it's the only one in a box. That's suspicious to me."

"Open it then."

Natarii swallowed nervously. Her fingers quivered as she lifted the lid. There was a single scroll inside. Naruto watched as Natarii slowly grasped the scroll and removed it from the box. Her heart pounded. She opened it. Her eyes widened.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, trying to look over Natarii's shoulder. His eyes widened as well. There was a heading at the top of the page.

"Keimusho Seal."

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted Saturday, June 15!_

_Next is: "Chapter 42: Mystery!" Natarii and Naruto have found the legendary Keimusho Seal scroll! Now, all they have to do is escape! But something doesn't seem to be quite right..._

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	42. Chapter 42: Mystery

Chapter 42: Mystery

Natarii stared at the page. She couldn't believe her eyes. The text was smooth and easy to read, but Natarii couldn't get her eyes to leave the heading. "Naruto," she said softly. "We did it."

"We?" Naruto too couldn't bring his eyes away from the heading. "You're the one who found it."

"But you're my accomplice. I couldn't have found it without you. There's no way!" Natarii opened more of the scroll. "This is it! This is it!" She jumped up and down with excitement.

"We found it!" Naruto exclaimed, sharing Natarii's happiness.

Natarii quickly sat down, frantically searching through her backpack. She pulled out a notebook. "I'm going to copy all of this!" She immediately started scribbling down the details. "What time is it?"

"How should I know?" Naruto answered.

"Look through my bag," Natarii began, "there should be a watch in there."

Naruto took hold of Natarii's backpack and dug through its contents. It was mainly notebooks and pencils, but, sure enough, there was a watch at the bottom. Naruto looked at it under the flashlight. "It's almost midnight," he said.

"Midnight?!" Natarii exclaimed in shock. "We have to go!" She rolled up the scroll and put it back in the box.

"What're you doing?" Naruto asked as Natarii prepared to put it back on the shelf. "Just take it with you."

"But that's stealing!" Natarii shot back, her voice wheezing due to her sudden fright. "The point was to break in without stealing anything!"

"You stole information though."

Natarii was caught speechless. She didn't have a comeback. It was true. She did steal information. Lots of it too. Without protesting, she took the scroll out of the box and into her backpack. She put the box behind the scrolls where she originally found it. Then, she strapped her backpack over her arms. "Now what? How do we get out?"

Naruto walked over to a small window. It was ground-level, so it sat slightly above their heads. He extended his arm upward toward the top of the window. He twisted a small switch. The window opened backward. The cool breeze from the summer night swept into the room. "Can you fit through here?"

Natarii walked to the window. The window was wider than she was, and it looked like she would fit if she went through flat. "Probably," she answered.

"You go first." Naruto stepped back.

Natarii nodded. She stared up at the window, not entirely knowing how she was going to get to it. She noticed the small bar that turned the window. If she grabbed it, she would be able to get through the window. But it would be more difficult than it had to be. She wouldn't be able to see where she was going with that option. She turned to Naruto. "Kneel on the ground."

"Huh? Why?"

Natarii stepped back. "Just do it." She pointed to the ground. "Right here."

Naruto eyed her strangely, but he didn't protest. "Right here?" He asked as he kneeled on the ground.

Natarii nodded. "Now get on all fours."

Naruto did as she said.

Natarii smirked. "Thank you," she said. Carefully, she stepped onto Naruto's back.

"What're you doing?!" He snapped.

"I'm using you as a stool! Now keep quiet!" She was now completely standing on him.

"Your feet are digging into my back!"

"If you'd sit still they wouldn't!" Natarii looked for a grip. "Just hold on for a second!" There was a small metal nub implanted in the ground not too far from the wall. Natarii reached for it and secured her right hand. Now, she had to get her left hand on something. She lifted it. "Ack!" Natarii quickly recoiled at the sharp pain. She had forgotten about her shoulder injury.

"What was that for?" Naruto quickly turned his head to get a better glimpse of Natarii. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Natarii breathed heavily, trying to get past the pain. "I forgot about my shoulder."

"How do you forget about something like that? Even I didn't forget!" Naruto retorted.

Natarii rolled her eyes. "Forget about that! Just lift me higher!"

Naruto extended his arms and legs.

"Ow!" Natarii bumped her head against the window. "Lower! Lower!"

"Make up your mind, woman!" Naruto bent his arms and legs slightly.

"Perfect! Hold it there!" Natarii regrouped her right hand on the small nub in the ground. She carefully slid her left arm out the window. "I've got a grip!" Now, all she had to do was pull herself through the window. "I'm going to jump," she warned.

Naruto seemed to have an easy time holding her up, but it was starting to get to him. "Get it over with, then," he muttered.

"'Kay." Natarii did a small jump. She was hanging, half outside and half inside, over the edge in a ninety degree angle. The process of getting through the window was going to be tougher than she originally thought. She pulled with every ounce of strength she had. Slowly, but surely, Natarii inched through the window. She slid onto the grass on her stomach. She stood, dusting of any dirt and pieces of grass, looking around at her surroundings. The moon was directly above her head. The branches of the dark trees waved in rhythm with the wind. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Sure, everything was extremely quiet before they broke in, but there was something strange about it now. Natarii pondered the possibilities. There could be-

"Is something wrong?"

Natarii jumped. Naruto stood next to her. "When'd you get out here?" She whispered.

"Right after you did. When else?" he responded.

Natarii turned her head back toward the woods. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

Naruto was confused. He looked around, thinking that might help him pinpoint a sound. He heard nothing. "Hear what?"

"Exactly." Natarii bit the fingernail on her thumb. "Something's not right."

"It's probably just your imagination." Naruto took a few steps forward, then stopped and motioned for Natarii to follow. "We should get going. We don't wanna get caught, and your mom's probably gonna kill me."

"I don't think she could do that to you," Natarii muttered, following Naruto. "She likes you too much."

Naruto stopped abruptly, turning back to Natarii. "Really?"

Natarii ignored his question. She looked around the area, watching for any signs of movement and listening for any sounds. There was nothing. Why? Something wasn't right. Naruto raised his voice when he spoke. Why didn't anyone hear it? They should've been caught. After several moments of silence, Natarii spoke at a normal volume. "Doesn't this seem a bit strange?"

"What?" Naruto was confused.

"You raised your voice just now," Natarii pointed out. She pointed to herself. "I'm talking with a raised voice now." She paused for a moment after seconds of silence. "Isn't it a bit odd we haven't been found?"

"Now that you mention it..." Naruto put a finger on his chin. "I guess it's a little weird."

"Let's just keep going. This is really starting to freak me out." Natarii inched closer to Naruto as he continued to walk quietly through the woods. They walked in silence for several minutes. Then, they were stopped by something extraordinary.

Natarii screamed. Naruto's eyes widened with fear. Before them lay the Chunin, blood spilled all over the ground. Each and every one of them met their demise.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! Sadly, I won't be able to make it to a computer next Saturday because I'll be on a trip. So, the next chapter will be posted Sunday, June 23!_

_Next is: "Chapter 43: Hostage!" What happened to all the Chunin guards? Who killed them? Natarii and Naruto have to warn Tsunade as soon as possible! However, they get distracted by other things...read next week to find out!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	43. Chapter 43: Hostage

Chapter 43: Hostage

Natarii screamed. Naruto's eyes widened with surprise and fear. Before them lay the Chunin, blood spilled all over the ground. Each and every one of them met their demise. But why? Who would've done such a thing?

"What is this?" Naruto questioned, horrified.

Natarii covered her mouth in shock. She inched closer to Naruto, but he didn't seem to notice. "Wh-what do we do?"

"We have to warn Tsunade Oba-chan!" Naruto swiftly grabbed Natarii's wrist and broke into an immediate sprint. He was fast.

Natarii was about to protest, but she was so frightened she kept her mouth shut. Now wasn't the time for complaints. Plus, if she ran on her own, there was no way she'd be able to keep up with him.

The two ran through the woods. Shortly, they were among one of the main training fields.

* * *

Watching them from the treetops, were two figures. Their faces could not be seen. One of them was rather tall, the other about average height.

"Should we attack them now?" The tall one asked.

"No," a deep voice came from the shorter of the two. He glanced at a figure the tall one was holding over his shoulder. "They're unaware of the fact that we have a hostage."

The tall one looked at the prisoner he held. "So, you just want to wait until they figure out we took her?"

The shorter nodded. "Use this time to build up your chakra. You're going to need it against these two. Especially the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki."

"What about the girl?"

"According to Deidara's report, her Ninjutsu abilities are sealed by the legendary Keimusho Seal. She can't do anything or she'll risk death. But she's witty. Extremely witty."

The taller nodded. "Then we just have to out-smart her."

"I think we already have."

* * *

Natarii and Naruto ran through one of the main streets in Konoha. It was completely bare. There weren't any businesses open, and there wasn't a person in sight. It was in the middle of the night, but there were still a lot of people who stayed out late. Something strange was happening.

"I don't like this," Natarii whispered between breaths as she ran. "I don't like this at all."

"Psst! Naruto!"

Naruto stopped at the sound of his name. It wasn't Natarii, so who was it? He turned around, looking for the person.

"Over here!" There was a shadow in a small alleyway. A hand came out of the shadow. The fingers were small and thin - Natarii could tell it was the hand of a female.

Slowly, Naruto moved closer to the shadow. Then, he relaxed. "Sakura-chan!"

"Shh!" Sakura reached out and grabbed one of Naruto's wrists and one of Natarii's wrists. She drug them both into the shadow. "What're you two doing out at a time like this?!" She snapped.

"I don't get it," Naruto said. "Where is everyone?"

"How did you not hear?!" Sakura's whisper was sharp. "The Chunin guarding the secret scrolls were slaughtered mercilessly like sheep!" She pointed in the direction of the Hokage mansion. "Tsunade-sama put the entire village and surrounding civilizations in complete lockdown!"

"Surrounding civilizations?" Natarii repeated.

Sakura nodded.

Natarii's eyes widened. "My mom! She's probably worried sick!"

Sakura shook her head. "There's no time to get to your place. You can't leave."

"I have worried that woman to her limit too many times within the past month," Natarii said firmly. "I will get to her." She turned and moved away from the shadow.

"You can't! Who knows what's out there!" Sakura exclaimed in a whisper.

"How would you know if you're just sitting here hiding?" Natarii retorted.

"Tsk." Sakura folded her arms across her chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but Natarii, along with Naruto, were already gone.

Natarii ran down the empty street as fast as she could. Naruto followed close behind. As they ran, they neared the main gates. Of course, they were closed. What other way was there to get out?

Natarii stopped abruptly and looked up at the main gates. She stared at them endlessly. "Why?" She asked herself. "Why did this have to happen now?" She ran up to the doors and pushed on them. They wouldn't budge. She pushed harder. Nothing. She turned to Naruto. "You're supposed to give me ideas at this point! What are we supposed to do?!" She was clearly panicking.

"Calm yourself!" Naruto exclaimed.

"How do you expect me to stay calm?!" Natarii frantically looked around. "There's gotta be some way out!"

"You're losing your common sense," Naruto stated. He pointed upward toward the cut off of the wall. It was near the treetops. "We can just go up."

Natarii took a deep breath. "I suppose you're right." She pointed to herself. "But what about me?!"

"You really are losing it." Naruto turned around and motioned for her to get on his back. "Get on."

"No!"

"Do you want to get to your house or not?!"

Natarii puffed a breath of frustration and got on Naruto's back.

"Was that so hard?"

Natarii didn't answer.

"Tsk. Why do you have to be so stubborn at times like these?" He leaped upward to one of the lower rooftops. Then, he gradually made his way up the higher ones asif it was a giant set of stairs. Before Natarii knew it, Naruto stood atop the edge of the wall. The vast, dark, green forest was ahead of them.

"Take me down to the path," Natarii said.

Naruto shook his head. "We'll get there faster my way." He leaped into the depths of the trees, quickly hopping from branch to branch, tree to tree. Natarii held on tightly, ensuring the fact that she wouldn't fall.

The town really wasn't that far from the village. Along the main path, it was a ten to fifteen minute walk. However, Naruto was much quicker. They were at the entrance to the town within a matter of only a few minutes.

Natarii and Naruto stood in front of the dark town. All the windows and shops were closed. All the lights were turned off. The streets were bare and empty.

"This is insane," Natarii whispered. She took a slow step forward, then gradually fastened her pace until she was sprinting through the main street. Naruto followed, catching up almost immediately.

The length of the stone street seemed endless even at their fast pace. Natarii made a turn. At the end of the long street ahead of them, Natarii's house sat in total lockdown. "Oh my goodness," Natarii said softly as she ran. She slowed her pace until she was at a complete stop. Her front porch was before her. Naruto stood next to her. Natarii breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. She slowly made her way up the wood steps to get to the front door. As she approached the door, she extended her arm in front of her. She took hold of the door knob. She turned it. It was locked. It was a lockdown after all. Natarii turned around. "It's locked!"

"Of course it's locked!" Naruto walked up the steps. He figured he'd try to open the door. He took hold of the door knob and twisted it. Nothing. He turned his head to Natarii. "Got any open windows?"

"My mom doesn't like to open windows."

"Okay...then just knock."

"Do you honestly think someone's going to come answer the door during a lockdown?!"

"It's worth a shot." Naruto made a fist and raised it, ready to bang on the door.

"Wait." Natarii motioned for him to lower his hand. "I'll do it," she said, making a fist. She knocked on the door. "Mom," she whispered as if Makina would be able to hear her.

No reply.

She knocked a little harder.

Still, no reply.

Natarii slammed her fist on the door. She was about to have a major panic attack. But to her surprise, the door cracked open. "What's this?" Natarii asked herself. She turned to Naruto, clueless of what to do.

Naruto returned the confused glance. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

Natarii slowly pushed the door open. "Mom?" She stepped inside. "Are you here?" She looked left and right through the dark house. Since the whole town was under lockdown, she found it best to leave the lights off. In the darkness, nothing seemed to be out of place. Everything was completely normal. Except her mom wasn't replying. "Mom?" Natarii said again. She swiftly turned to Naruto, who just entered the house. "You look downstairs by my room. I'll look up here. Something's not right."

Naruto nodded. "Got it." He descended into the basement.

Natarii dashed down the hall to the room at the end of the hall on her left. She quickly opened the door. It was her parents' bedroom. "Mom?" The bed was empty. The sheets were ruffled and messy. Something was seriously wrong. Natarii closed the door and went to the next room, the office. "Mom?!" The desk chair was empty, and the computer was turned off. Natarii was beginning to seriously worry. She rushed to the only other room in the hallway - Keizu's old room. She hesitated before turning the knob. But finding her mom was more important at this point. Natarii violently turned the knob and threw the door open. "MOM WHERE ARE YOU?!" She screamed. There was no one in the room. Forgetting to shut the door, Natarii ran down the hall to the basement door. "Naruto!" She called, her voice filled with panic. "Naruto, is my mom down there?!"

There was no reply. He must've not heard her.

Natarii frantically stomped down the stairs. "Hey! I am trying to communicate with you!" She shouted.

Naruto was looking around the basement.

"What're you doing?" Natarii asked. She was growing impatient.

"It's been forever since I've been down here," Naruto said. "It looks the same. Except for your room. Your room got messier."

Natarii slapped his arm. "That's weird and stalker-ish!" She shouted. "And I told you to look for my mom!"

"She's not down here."

Natarii's eyes grew wide with fear. "Sh-she's not down here?"

Naruto shook his head. "She's not upstairs?"

Natarii shook her head. "She's not here." Natarii stood frozen for a moment. Then, she ran back up the stairs, her feet stomping on each step. She continued to run up and down the single hallway, looking in rooms, checking the kitchen, and checking the large living room in the most absurd of places. "She's not here! She's not here!"

Naruto closed the basement door behind him. When Natarii came dashing by, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "You need to calm yourself," he said. "Take a chill pill or something."

"You don't get it!" Natarii raised her voice. "I don't want to lose anyone again!"

"I know."

"How could you know?!" Natarii snapped. "You've never had anyone to lose!" She immediately regret her words.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and let go of Natarii. He looked at the floor. "I guess you're right. But I lost Sasuke."

Natarii never really knew Sasuke. She saw him occasionally before he turned evil, but she never had a conversation with him. She practically forgot about him.

Naruto continued, "Plus, you and your mom were the first ones who didn't treat me like an outsider."

Guilt swept over Natarii. She should've known better. Her mom always treated Naruto as if he were part of the family. In a way, he sort of was. "Sorry," Natarii said softly. "I didn't really mean that."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine. I figured you just had a spazz attack anyway." He looked around, suddenly noticing something taped to the back of the front door. "What's that?" He asked aloud.

Natarii quickly turned her head in the same direction. "What's what?" She asked. Naruto was already walking toward it.

"It's a note," he said, taking it off the door.

"Let me see!" Natarii exclaimed, dashing over to him. Naruto handed her the note. She read it thoroughly. Slowly, her eyes widened. She covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

"What is it?"

Natarii didn't reply. Puddles of tears formed at the corner of her eyelids.

"Natarii?"

Natarii handed him the note. She sluggishly fell to the ground on her knees. She tried to hold back the mass of tears that were ready to pour down her cheeks.

Naruto read the note.

_We borrowed something precious from you._ _But don't worry, we'll keep her alive. Momentarily. Come alone if you want to save her, Takanami Natarii._ _If you don't do as we say, she'll die._

Naruto crushed the note in his hand. "Akatsuki."

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, June 29! _

_Next is: "Chapter 44: A Night in the Woods!" The Akatsuki took Natarii's mom hostage! Natarii has to face them alone in order to save her! But how can she do it when her only options are risking death? Read next week to find out!_

_'Til next time!_

_-ChibiNinja45_


	44. Chapter 44: A Night in the Woods

Chapter 44: A Night in the Woods

What's that?" Naruto asked aloud, staring through the narrow entry at the back of the front door of Natarii's house.

Natarii quickly turned her head in the same direction. "What's what?" She asked. Naruto was already walking toward it.

"It's a note," he said, taking it off the door.

"Let me see!" Natarii exclaimed, dashing over to him. Naruto handed her the note. She read it thoroughly. Slowly, her eyes widened. She covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

"What is it?"

Natarii didn't reply. Puddles of tears formed at the corner of her eyelids.

"Natarii?"

Natarii handed him the note. She sluggishly fell to the ground on her knees. It took every ounce of her strength to hold the tears back.

Naruto read the note.

_We borrowed something precious from you._ _But don't worry, we'll keep her alive. Momentarily. Come alone if you want to save her, Takanami Natarii._ _If you don't do as we say, she'll die._

Naruto crushed the note in his hand. "Akatsuki."

Natarii quickly took her glasses off and wiped her eyes with her forearm. She put her glasses back on and stood up. There was no time to lose. Natarii ran to the basement door and rushed down the stairs. Naruto almost called out to her, but didn't. He assumed it would be best to wait for her to come back. Maybe she had a plan.

After a few minutes, Natarii came dashing up the stairs. She was in her shinobi attire she received before she first started her training. This time, however, she was wearing a blue vest with a white short-sleeved shirt underneath, loose, black pants, black sandals, and most importantly, the Konoha headband Jiraya gave to her. It hung around her neck. "Naruto," she began, almost urgently.

"What?"

"Please. Let me borrow as many kunai and shuriken as possible."

Naruto pointed a finger to himself. "But then I won't have any."

"Who said you were coming with me?"

"As if I'd let you go alone!" Naruto raised his voice. "Do you honestly think you can handle the Akatsuki alone?! You won't be able to lay a finger on them! We don't even know who we're up against!"

"I won't know until I try," Natarii said. Her heart was pounding and her hands were trembling. But she knew she had to stay strong. "My mom's life is at stake here." She rephrased her words, aiming them directly at Naruto. "The woman who treated you as if you were her own child...her life is at stake." Natarii clenched her fists together tightly. "I can't just sit around and let her die!"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Natarii interrupted him.

"I have to go alone!" She shouted. "If I have to take a blow to the chest, I'll save her! If I have to be held to the ground or tied to a chair and tortured, I'll save her! If I have to give up my ability they so desperately want, I'll save her! Heck, if I have to die..." Natarii's voice trailed off.

Naruto flinched at her words.

Natarii quickly wiped her watering eyes to hide her pain. She finished her sentence. "I'll save her."

Naruto remained silent for a moment. Natarii was willing to risk her life to save her mother. It was expected, but for some reason, it still shocked him when he heard it come out of her mouth. It was then he mentally acknowledged the fact that he was worried about her. "I'll let you go," he finally said after a minute or so. "But there's no way you're going alone. I'm coming with you."

"You read the note!" Natarii exclaimed, her voice cracking. "I have to go alone or else she'll die!"

"You said it yourself!" Naruto shouted in attempt to get Natarii to listen to him. She shut her mouth and looked at him stubbornly. He continued, lowering his voice. "Your mom accepted me when no one else would."

Natarii remained silent.

"I have every right to come with you. I _want _to come with you."

Natarii bit her lip and shook her head. "But...you can't..."

"Are you really that stupid?!"

Natarii's eyes widened the instant the words came out of Naruto's mouth. She backed away. It felt as if she was hit by an invisible punch. Those were the words that hurt Natarii the most, and Naruto knew it.

But he wasn't finished trying to convince her just yet. "You're not strong enough to go against two S-Rank criminals! You don't have enough stamina! You-"

"That's not all that matters!" Natarii interrupted with a loud shout. "I know I'm not strong enough and I know I don't have enough stamina and I know that you have a legitimate reason to come along!" She slammed a fist against the wall. "But they told me to go alone! How would you feel if you came along and because of that they kill my mom?!"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but Natarii cut him off.

"I'm thinking of what's best for the situation! Why are you so hard headed?!"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt!"

Natarii stood frozen. She felt her body temperature rising and her heart started pounding. Why? She didn't know why. She couldn't get herself to say anything.

Naruto glanced to the side to avoid eye contact with her. He was slightly embarrassed - the words slipped out of his mouth. They were beyond his control. "I want to go the whole way," he said softly.

"I won't allow it." Natarii instantly forgot everything and stood firm once more.

"Why not?"

"What am I supposed to do if something happens again like last time?" Natarii asked. "What if the Kyuubi comes out of you again? What if I have to use _Bijuu no Fuuinjutsu_ against the power of the seal again?"

"I won't let it happen."

"Still. Only halfway."

Naruto sighed. He knew Natarii wasn't going to budge even after all his efforts. It would be better if he just agreed. "All right," he said reluctantly. "I'll go halfway." In his mind, however, he had a different plan.

* * *

As Natarii and Naruto went down the main street of the small town, Natarii found herself looking at the note again. "They didn't give a meeting place," she said. "How am I supposed to know where to go?"

"Just walk around I guess," Naruto replied. "They'll find you."

Natarii cowered backward slightly. "That sounds creepy."

Naruto chuckled. Now, they were on the main path that lead to the main gates of Konoha.

Natarii was now relieved she had Naruto come with her. She glanced up at him through the corner of her eye, but quickly returned her gaze to the dark path in front of her. Her mind was going in so many directions at one time. For once, she didn't have a plan. She couldn't make a plan without the circumstances of the place and enemy. Who's she up against? What kind of abilities do they uphold? Is her mother alive? If so, is she injured? What's going to happen? Natarii's anxiety was killing her. Her heart was pounding and her hands were trembling. Knots twisted themselves like pretzels in her stomach. Her dry hands quickly became soaked with sweat. "Hey, Naruto," Natarii began softly. She stopped walking.

"What?" Naruto stopped a little after Natarii. He turned around so he could see her face.

"Um...I don't know..." Natarii seemed hesitant with her words. "Never mind. It's not important."

Naruto looked at her strangely. "Then why take the time to stop?"

Natarii turned away from him, gently scratching her cheek with her right index finger. "I uh...I at least want to say good-bye..."

Naruto tilted his head slightly. Natarii's words were confusing him. "For what?"

"In case I..." Natarii paused for a moment. "I feel as though we've been through this before," she said. "But I can't put a finger on where."

Naruto thought for a moment. Then, he remembered. The first time she used _Bijuu no Fuuinjutsu_. By the Kyuubi's gate. That was when...Naruto shook his head to get the thought out of his mind. It wasn't the time to be thinking about that! But why didn't Natarii remember? That wasn't important now. Naruto had to keep his mind in the present moment. "We have," he replied simply.

Natarii nodded, trying to calm her nerves. Deep down, she was still uncertain. She was scared out of her mind. She didn't want to face two S-Rank criminals. She didn't want her mom to be killed.

Slowly, Natarii looked up at Naruto. He was already looking down at her. The look in his eyes was strong. Natarii didn't see any fear inside them. They were filled with determination and courage. Somehow, it brought comfort to her. She wasn't sure how or why.

Naruto could tell Natarii was deeply bothered. Her hands were noticeably shaking, and her voice shook when she spoke. "Natarii," Naruto said, breaking the silence.

Natarii shook her head, coming out of a daze. She didn't say anything, but gave Naruto her attention.

"Calm down. You'll be fine."

"Scared? I never said I'm scared!" Natarii looked around cautiously as if she was looking out for something.

"I never said you were scared," Naruto scratched at the back of his head.

Natarii instantly moved onto a different subject. "Can I borrow those kunai now?" Her mind was all over the place.

Naruto didn't protest. He reached into his back pouch and pulled out ten shuriken. It was half of what he had with him. "Take these."

Natarii carefully took the shuriken. She didn't want to accidentally cut herself. She placed them in a tan pouch that rested on a belt toward her left rear. Then, she looked back at Naruto, ready for more supplies. He pulled out two kunai. Again, it was half of what he had with him. He gave them to Natarii. Natarii placed them inside the box-like pouch that was strapped around her right thigh. "Is this everything?" She asked.

Naruto nodded. "It's half of what I have," he replied.

Natarii managed a small, grateful smile. "Thank you." She now seemed relatively calm. But she was not relaxed. It was obvious she was determined to do whatever it took to bring her mom home. "Naruto," she began once more.

Naruto didn't give a reply of any sort, but looked at her in such a way that she knew she had his attention.

"Will you..." Natarii seemed to have a hard time placing her words. "Will you walk a little further with me?"

Naruto nodded with a determined look on his face. He and Natarii took a step off the path and into the woods. Somehow, they both knew some sort of battle was about to begin. It would be best to keep it away from populated civilizations.

The forest was dark. Natarii held a flashlight in her shaky hands, but the light coming from it was still small. Although she didn't realize it, she walked side-by-side with Naruto - she was closer to him than she usually was. Naruto didn't seem to notice either.

Everything was completely silent. Natarii was beginning to wonder if she was in the middle of a dream it was so quiet. All she and Naruto heard were the small crunches of crisp twigs and leaves underneath their feet. They walked deep into the forest. After about an hour or so, Natarii abruptly stopped.

"This is where we go our separate ways," she said hesitantly and quietly. She really did want Naruto to come with her. But she knew he couldn't. For her mother's life, she had to go alone.

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but was drawn blank as Natarii practically threw her arms around him. She gently squeezed him, burying her face in his shoulder as if she didn't want a soul to see it. "You know I'm bad at good-byes," she whispered softly.

Naruto, still quite dumbfounded, wasn't entirely sure what to do. He lifted his arms from his side. Hesitantly, he put them around Natarii, returning the embrace. He was also expecting a short-tempered remark. No such remark came. He held on a little tighter. "Good luck."

"For my sake," Natarii began, "and for yours...I will bring my mom home. Alive." She shoved herself away from Naruto and ran off into the woods.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, July 6! _

_Next is: "Chapter 45: New Opponents!" Natarii sets off to find her mom on her own! Who will she come across this time? Will she be able to save her mom and fight for herself? Read next week to find out! _

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


	45. Chapter 45: New Opponents

Chapter 45: New Opponents

Natarii stopped herself along the edge of a wide, open clearing. She was out of breath. She hadn't stopped running for another hour or so after all. Leaning against a large tree, Natarii tried to catch her breath as quickly as possible. There was no telling when the Akatsuki members would show up. She couldn't have used all of her strength already. Yet, it seemed as if she was fading fast.

Natarii opened her mouth, and a massive, long yawn came out. She was exhausted. Quickly, she jolted her gaze to the sky. Based on the position of the moon, the time should have been around three in the morning. Only three? To Natarii, the hours that passed since the break-in seemed endless.

Her body slid down the tree's trunk until she was sitting on the ground. She didn't have any strength left.

* * *

Natarii awoke the next morning. _I fell asleep? _She thought to herself sluggishly as she rolled her sore neck around in various positions. Daylight surrounded her. Natarii frantically stood up. _Obviously I did! How long was I asleep?! _She frantically looked around the clearing. The space was rather large. The ground was grassy, but a bare, dusty patch of dry dirt lay in the center. Tall trees surrounded it, and there were a few boulders scattered around. The thought of slamming into a boulder again came across Natarii's mind. She brushed her finger along her left shoulder. It made her teeth cringe.

Wanting to get an even closer look, she walked into the clearing, entering the sunlight.

"Well, well, Itachi-san. The girl finally showed up," a voice said from the treetops.

Natarii jumped. She swiftly searched the area, looking for the person in which the voice belonged to. She saw no one.

"Samehada's getting hungry."

Itachi-san? Samehada? Natarii clenched her fists. She took out a shuriken, ready to attack, but not taking any rash actions. "Who's there?!" She shouted. "I'm not afraid of you! Show yourselves!"

Instantly, three bodies appeared before her. One was extremely tall. His skin was tinted blue. His eyes were narrow, filled with hate. Beneath his eyes were six slits, three on each side. They reminded Natarii of gills. His cheekbones were prominent, and his nose was blunt like a shark's. A sleek, creepy smile, revealing pointed, sharp teeth, crept across his face. Across his back, he had a giant tool. Natarii couldn't tell what it was. She expected it to be a sword of some kind.

His partner stood next to him. He had long, dark hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail. Long bangs hung along the sides of his face. His eyes were also narrowed, but something about them was different. They were lifeless. All emotion was gone. But there was something else about those eyes. Natarii couldn't put her finger on it. Underneath his eyes were dark shadows. There must have been something strenuous about his past to bring such darkness. The one thing about him that really caught Natarii's eye was his headband. It was from Konoha. But there was a line through the leaf symbol. Was he a former shinobi of Konoha?

The two both wore the Akatsuki cloak. Natarii knew they would be her attackers. Her eyes then fell to the third person. Her eyes widened. Gagged, blindfolded, and her wrists and ankles binded together, Makina lay on the ground. She was hunched over, exhausted and unmoving.

"MOM!" Natarii took a swift step.

"Don't make any moves, girl," the blue one said sternly. He pulled out a katana. "If you're good, I won't have to use this."

"Let her go!" Natarii threw the shuriken at him with precision and skill. It was easily blocked with the sword. That was one shuriken wasted.

"Tsk. That liar," the blue one muttered. He turned to the other, who Natarii assumed went by the name of Itachi. "The boss said she didn't have any training!"

"Calm yourself, Kisame," Itachi said. His voice was deep and mature. "Whether the girl's had training or not, she's still weak."

Natarii narrowed her eyes. "Don't underestimate me. I survived a battle with the pyromaniac."

Kisame's freakish smile grew wider. "Maybe if you cooperate, you won't have to use your training. And I won't have to use my katana, much less Samehada. Hmph. Maybe I'll even let your mother live."

"Don't you dare touch her!" Natarii shouted furiously. She desperately wanted to run up to her mom and make sure she was all right. But she couldn't risk anything. She still didn't know anything about her opponents or this so-called Samehada.

"Then do as we say," Kisame ordered. "Give us your abilities."

"And if I refuse?"

Kisame pointed his katana to Makina. "She dies."

Natarii bit her lip. What was she supposed to do? She didn't want to succumb to their wishes. But if she wanted to save her mom's life, wasn't it the only option? "How do you even expect to simply extract one's abilities from them? That doesn't even make sense."

"Akatsuki is a group with many talents," Kisame replied. "Let's leave it at that. Now, give your abilites to us." He moved his sword closer to Makina.

Natarii was drawn blank. She didn't have enough time. What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? Was there any way out of the situation? Was there any way to save her mom's life without giving her abilities away and passing them to the wrong hands? Natarii couldn't come up with an answer. Her heart was pounding. She was so afraid. Her sweaty hands trembled as she clenched them tightly together. "I would rather die than give you my abilities," she said boldly. She narrowed her eyes futher. "Let my mother go."

"Is that so?" Kisame asked with a smirk. "Then..." He lunged at Natarii with full power and speed. "Death you will have!" She barely had enough time to rip out a kunai and block the sword from slicing her throat. There was a loud clink as the two blades clashed. From the looks of Kisame's form and power, Natarii deduced that he had to be a master swordsman. There was no doubt. Kisame pushed his sword toward Natarii with immense strength. Natarii was barely able to hold him off.

"Kisame." Itachi finally spoke. "We have to keep the girl alive if we want her power. Don't get too carried away."

Kisame lowered the pressure he was putting on Natarii's kunai until he backed away from it completely. "Right," he said to Itachi. "Forgive me." He stood in line with Itachi once more, but his glance never left Natarii. "Have you made your decision?"

"My decision stands firm. I'd rather die than cooperate with you."

"Very well." Kisame put his sword in his sheath and walked behind Makina. She was shaking. Kisame untied her blindfold and removed the gag from her mouth.

"Natarii!" she gasped. Her face was wet with sweat and tears. Her voice cracked and was filled with fear.

Kisame picked her up by the back of her shirt, throwing her blindfold and the gag onto the ground. Makina screamed.

Natarii had never seen her mom so frightened. She was terrified. "Mom! Hang in there!" Natarii shouted. "I'm going to save you! And I'm going to take you home with me! I promise!"

Kisame pulled out his sword once more. Itachi moved out of the way. Kisame held the sword up to Makina's neck. She could be murdered in an instant. "Tell me, Takanami Natarii. For the sake of this woman's life, will you not give up your abilities?"

Natarii felt tears forming at the corner of her eyes. _Naruto_, she began in her mind,_ What am I supposed to do, Naruto?_ "I...I..." Natarii couldn't think. Would giving up her powers really save her mom? At this point, Natarii didn't care what happened or what the aftermath would be. All she wanted to do was save her mom and keep her promise. "Yes," Natarii wiped her eyes. "Do whatever you want with me. Just...don't...hurt my mom."

Kisame chuckled with a sinister smile. "Finally." He dropped Makina on the ground. She flopped onto her stomach like a fish out of water, then stood on her hands and knees.

"Mom!" Natarii ran to meet her mother. She couldn't take her eyes off her mom's relieved face. But something wasn't right. Natarii stopped abruptly in the middle of the clearing. The light in Makina's eyes faded. A small trail of blood came out of her mouth and down her chin. "No," Natarii whispered, her eyes wide at the disturbing sight. What happened? She looked up slightly. A blood-curdling scream escaped her mouth as she covered it and fell to her knees. Tears flushed uncontrollably out of her eyes as she continued to scream in fear and terror.

Makina fell to the ground on her side, motionless. A katana stuck straight through her chest. The tip of the blade was covered with dark red blood. Small strips of dark, bloody bodily tissues hung off the tainted blade. Her blood quickly flowed out of her wound, staining the ground.

She was dead.

* * *

_That's it for this week's chapter! The next chapter will be posted on Saturday, July 13!_

_Next is: "Chapter 46: Natarii Fights Back!" Takanami Makina is dead?! Natarii's hatred and rage is increasing! Will she be able to avenge her mother by fighting against the two Akatsuki members the same way she did Deidara? Where's Naruto when Natarii needs him the most? Read next week to find out!_

_'Til next time!_

_- ChibiNinja45_


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